


God Only Knows

by pink_green_white_4ever



Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-08-03
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2017-11-11 09:03:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 42,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/476866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pink_green_white_4ever/pseuds/pink_green_white_4ever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The hardest part of faith is the last hour. - David Wilkerson</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Shattered Reality

God Only Knows  
Prologue: Shattered Reality  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Started: May 15, 2009  
Finished: March 6, 2010

Summary: The hardest part of faith is the last hour. - David Wilkerson  
Rating: M  
Characters: you'll see

Author's Note: Okay, so, this story is going to be a departure from some of the other stories I've done over the years, but in some ways, this story involves the one character I like to think I know best in the entire PR universe. This is not going to be a story returning the Rangers as we know them back to the way they were in the good 'ol days. The Rangers in this story have lives, real lives, and they're going through real, everyday experiences, and for one of those Rangers, it means discovering what she's really made of. Life has not been kind, nor will it be in this story. What this is, above all else, is a journey of self discovery, of finding who you are and what you're made of, and in the end, it's learning that in each of us, there's the power, no matter how vast or how small, to change the world.

Special Thanks: Shawn, thank you for listening to me plot and plan, and for giving me tips when you felt I needed it. Ang thanks for the enthusiasm and support. Enigma thank you so much for the constant faith in my work. Liz, my dear, thanks for being such a sweetheart! You four don't know how much I appreciate it all, or how much you've enriched my life simply by being who you are. As Shawn once said, thank you doesn't seem enough. I love you works best

Please Visit http:/www.valhallaboard.com/forum/index.php - this is the multi-fandom message board I co-run with the four people in my "Special Thanks" section.

I feel so alone,  
Can't seem to find my out of this low?  
No, it don't seem right  
I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.

In this silent space,  
I close my eyes I can hear you say  
That it's alright,  
But my world's such an empty place tonight.  
Cause I know that,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.

As the time goes by,  
It gets a little easier to smile.  
I know I'll never forget  
Everything that you said.  
You said it's alright,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.

And the lights above you will never fade if you keep looking up  
Right around there is a better place if you believe in love.  
Cause I know that, it's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye, yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to, if I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on, the longest I'll hold on.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.  
God only knows.  
Ya, God only knows.  
God only knows.  
\- Orianthi, God Only Knows -

gok

3:00 P.M.  
Saturday  
January 5, 2008  
Van Ordsel Family Funeral Chapel and Crematory  
3333 NE 2nd Avenue  
Miami FL, 33137

Life is not fair. It's a lesson I learned at a very young age. I've also learned that bad thing happen to good people for no reason. Which is probably the explanation for why five days after the start of 2008 I'm walking into a funeral home in Miami, Florida and I'm feeling like I'm about to do battle.

I'm at the lead of a very, very large group – most every Ranger in our illustrious history is striding into the moderately sized funeral home on my heels. The sadness is seeping off us in waves; it's enough to bring me to tears. My little sister has just gone through the single most devastating experience of her life – her husband and her child were killed on their way New Year's morning to get a few groceries from a local convenience store. My five year old nephew and his father, gone, in one horrible instant; killed by a drunk driver. I thought life sucked ass when I lost one of my best friends a few years ago, but this….life can't get worse than this, or crueler.

I could almost laugh when several of Chris' relatives look up from where they're sitting and see a virtual army walking in for the double funeral. If I wasn't hurting so much or so worried about my little sister, I just might have lost it. Instead, tears gather in my eyes and I stop and try to blink them back. "Jason," Madeleine, Chris' mom, calls out before rushing over to me. I've only met her a few times – at Kim and Chris' wedding, at the hospital when Evan was born, at his christening, and last year when Chris and Kim paid for his family to come with them to visit California.

On instinct alone, I lean in to give her a polite hug. "I'm so sorry," I whisper, knowing my voice sounds choked. I can't help it, nor do I want to.

"It's good you're here, that you're all here." Her eyes sweep over the group, widening when she recognizes the Space and Lightspeed Rangers among the mix.

"Kim's got a lot of friends," I tell her, watching her nod.

"That's good," she started. "Maybe you can get her to do something other than stare at the caskets. Caroline and I've been trying to get her to say or do something since she got up this morning, but we haven't had any success."

Worry shoots through me as my eyes dart to the front of the room, latching onto the head of dark hair pulled up into a simple French twist. She looks so small sitting amidst a large group of people, including her parents, her brother and his family, and her grandparents. I feel Aisha's hand on my forearm, and then see why she's trying to get my attention. Tommy's standing next to me, jaw clenching so hard I swear I can almost hear his teeth grinding, and his hands are at his sides, balled into tight fists. Both Katherine and Tanya are trying to soothe him, but he just shrugs off their attempts. I know my bro like none of them do, the fact Kimberly's an emotional wreck and there's nothing he can do to make it better is eating him alive. He's been pretty silent the whole trip here, having been the one to pull the strings with Anton and Andros to get the entirety of the Ranger family here to support our original Pink Ranger.

"Hang back, all of you, let me see if I can get her to talk to me," I quietly order, my eyes meeting Tommy's. There's a hint of betrayal in those brown orbs, but then it disappears and he relents; as much as it hurts him, he knows right now Kim doesn't need his own emotions on top of hers. Despite the fact that they've become the best of friends again, he knows his presence may do more harm than good at the moment. Taking a deep breath, I give Aisha's hand a squeeze before moving up the side of the room. I catch both Ken and Caroline's faces, and feel my heart break; they both look so crushed, even as their eyes dart from Kim's face to mine. I see Caroline lean over and say something to Kim before the entire family moves back a few rows to give me a chance to talk to her.

It's painful how dazed she looks. The only movement I can make out from her is the gentle but steady rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes are set in an unblinking stare and her hands are clenched in her lap around a wad of tissues. Those doe brown eyes I know as well as my own are watery, and every so often even as I sit next to her I can see a tear slide down her cheek, unchecked. I simply sit down beside her and stare at the caskets at the front of the room. Both are closed, which means that the accident was so bad that the funeral can't be open casket. God only knows what Kimberly went through having to identify the bodies, and while both her parents and Chris' are here, she's basically had to go through most of this alone. The feelings ripping through me are enough to bring anyone to their knees; we're a team, a family, and yet, we weren't here for her in the one instant when she needed us most. In fact, it's taken both Tommy and I almost three days to get everyone together. I guess better late than never. Reaching over, I lay one of my large, warm hands on hers and nearly recoil in shock. Kim's hands are absolutely frigid. I watch her face as I grasp her fingers and interlock them with my own; she never moves.

"Sis?" I whisper, hoping my voice will be able to tunnel through the armor she's obviously erected around herself. "Kim?"

I give her a few moments, hoping she'll respond to me, but if the temperature of her skin is anything to go by, she's as cold inside as she is on the outside. I let her hand go as I turn in the chair and gently cup her cheeks. As carefully as possible, I turn her face toward me and bite my lip when I feel her tears slide over the skin of my fingers. "Sis?" I whisper again, hoping to get her attention.

Awareness seemed to seep into those vacant eyes. More tears leaked from her eyes, her lips seemed to tremble with every ragged breath she sucked in and suddenly, I found her cold fingers wrapping around my wrists. "Jase?"

"I'm right here, Sis," I whisper, leaning toward her, my lips caressing her forehead. "We're all here."

She sobs just once before I find her face buried against my chest and my arms wrapped around her. The rest of the harsh sounds being released are buffered by my suit jacket, but my eyes immediately fly to the rest of the gang and I see Rocky, Billy, Adam and Zack physically restraining Tommy and Aisha. Both of them want nothing more than to come over and comfort Kim. I give them one silent nod and watch as the group quickly but quietly hurry up to join me. "We're here, Sis, we're here," I remind her as I rock her back and forth. Her sobs have lessened, and her head suddenly rears back. The look in her eyes tells me she realizes what I just said.

"Oh god!" she utters when she realizes she's surrounded by our team.

Aisha's beside her in seconds, drawing Kim into a tight hug. We could only watch as the two of them cling to each other, Aisha murmuring words of comfort in Kim's ear as the two move from side to side very lightly, Aisha's hands smoothing over Kim's back. Better late then never.

gok

6:00 P.M.  
Saturday  
January 5, 2008  
Pace Park  
1745 North Bayshore Drive  
Miami, Florida, 33132

In all the time I've ever known her, Kimberly has never voluntarily sought solitude. She's always had the craving to be at the center of the group, to be surrounded by those she cares for. I knew when the team arrived in Miami I would see a very different Kimberly. My best friend, the girl who I dubbed 'my Beautiful', has been tested this week in ways I never would have wished on her, and as I watch her stand in Pace Park, staring out at the waters of Biscayne Bay, I know her thoughts are with those she lost. I can't begin to imagine what she's going through, having lost husband and child in one foul swoop. A lesser woman would have crawled into the caskets with her family, wanting nothing more than to be buried with them.

But Kimberly remains, perhaps locked in a frozen state, unable to feel the loss past the shock.

I've seen her face the toughest obstacles that could be thrown at a woman with her unique abilities. I've seen her overcome them with grace, agility, and tenacity. And always, she's come out stronger, more resilient. Part of me wonders if she'll be able to overcome this, if the woman I have known for over half my life can surmount this most difficult path. I want to cry out that she can, but I can't know how deeply this has crippled the Crane.

Only time will tell.

The others are still at Kimberly's house, helping to clean up the sea of flowers and left-over food from the dinner we had there after the funeral and graveside service. I had to slip out, to get some fresh air, and ended following Kimberly from her house to the park. Part of me knew she wanted to be alone, but the part of me who's been by her side through everything she's ever gone through since I met her, urged me to be with her, even from a distance. She's always been my rock, even after the way our relationship ended; it's time I returned the favor.

She's standing at the edge of the water, her arms wrapped around her waist. There's a light breeze coming in from over the bay, making the material of her long, black skirt sway gently. I can see her shoulders shake every so often, and I know she's still crying. The tears seem like an endless flood, and I wish I could do something to help her cope with this, but like Jason told me earlier, my presence, my offer of comfort, may do more harm than anything else. She doesn't need her ex reminding her of the beloved husband she just lost.

Surprisingly, I can say I honestly liked Chris. He was a good, solid guy who loved life and who was a respectable man. And he loved Kimberly endlessly. She and Evan were his entire world. It pains me to know a good man was killed so needlessly and tragically. And Evan with him. The kid was the spitting image of his mother, right down to the toothy grin and fearlessness.

It's baffling how two innocent, bright souls could be snuffed out without thought. I know that while it doesn't make sense now, and may never, there has to be a reason, some reason, why Kim has to go through this. The path isn't clear now, but she has something ahead of her; as hurtful as it sounds, there may be a lesson to all of this in the end. If I could have spared her of it, I'd have moved heaven and earth; and so would the rest of the family. I know that she was crushed when Trini was killed. I know she struggled to understand why after all that we'd been through one of us had to go the way Trini did. I can't imagine what she's thinking right now.

With a sigh, I quietly walk to stand by her side. I don't say a word, just stand there with my hands in my pockets and watch the water. I know she knows I'm there, even if she hasn't acknowledged me; Kim and I have always had a connection, one no one else will ever share with us. I pray that through that connection she can feel the love and support that I'm projecting at her.

"Did Jason put you up to this?" comes the soft accusation. Her voice trembled, as if it would break into a million pieces.

"What do you think?" I shoot back, cocking my head to the side and turning my gaze to her face. She's still staring out at the water.

"Why are you here?" she chokes.

"Because I love you," I answer, honesty and sincerity in my voice.

She only shakes her head at me, before turning to look at me. "Why?"

The tone of her voice and the question in it challenges me in ways I wish it wouldn't; she's not asking why I love her, she's asking why she just had her life completely shattered. "If I had the answers, Kim, I'd give them to you in heartbeat. If I could have stopped this, I would have, but this wasn't caused by anything a Ranger power or alien technology could prevent."

"They were innocent."

"Those are usually the ones who get hurt the worst."

"It's not fair," she cries softly, looking angry and lost.

"It never is, Beautiful; you and I learned that all too well at an early age. Bad things happen to good people for no reason. It sucks, and it will always suck, because bad things are always going to happen to good people."

She shakes her head and looks back at the water. "I can't accept that," she mutters through her tears. "I refuse to accept it."

I let her have the last word, letting the silence fill the space between us. She's grieving so hard and so much right now, I just don't want to upset her anymore. We're friends, best friends, and so being brutally honest with each other is par for the course. Right now, I have to put honesty in the backseat and give her the comfort, love and strength she's going to need to accept this new way of life. "Your mom made noises about you going to France for a few months with her."

"I'm not going anywhere," she tells me firmly. "I belong here."

"Maybe you should go, just for a while. Spend a couple weeks with the people who love you, who share your pain," I suggest.

"No one shares my pain," she vehemently responds, spinning to face me. "There isn't a single person I know who knows what the hell I'm feeling right now."

The second her face crumples in grief, my arms are around her, pulling her to my chest. I haven't touched her but for a hug earlier at the funeral home. My lips are pressed to the top of her head while her face is buried against my chest. I murmur words of comfort, but I know they fall on deaf ears; nothing's going to comfort her right now. Time is the only weapon she's got against these feelings. "Beautiful, listen to me," I whisper, leaning down so that her face is buried against my neck and my lips are at her ear. "You are not alone, you will never be alone. It doesn't feel like it now, but one day, you're not going to hurt so much. I want you to promise me something."

I watch her pull back then, tears still streaming down her cheeks. "W-w-What?"

"That when you're ready, you'll think about coming home; even if for a little while. I really think that a change of pace and scenery, and maybe familiar surroundings will do you some good. It won't stop the hurt, but it may help you find some peace of mind."

She looked down at our feet before she lifted her head and looked me in the eye with those watery orbs of hers. "I'll think about it."

I try to smile when I nod, and then I pull her back into my arms. "Don't stay out here too long, everyone's worried about you," I murmur, leaning down to kiss her forehead before I disentangle from her and head back toward my car.

"Tommy?"

"Yeah?" I ask turning around.

"Thank you."


	2. Long Awaited Homecoming

God Only Knows  
Chapter 1: Long Awaited Homecoming  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Started: February 21, 2010  
Finished: March 15, 2010

Summary: The hardest part of faith is the last hour. - David Wilkerson  
Rating: M  
Characters: you'll see

Author's Note: Okay, so, this story is going to be a departure from some of the other stories I've done over the years, but in some ways, this story involves the one character I like to think I know best in the entire PR universe. This is not going to be a story returning the Rangers as we know them back to the way they were in the good 'ol days. The Rangers in this story have lives, real lives, and they're going through real, everyday experiences, and for one of those Rangers, it means discovering what she's really made of. Life has not been kind, nor will it be in this story. What this is, above all else, is a journey of self discovery, of finding who you are and what you're made of, and in the end, it's learning that in each of us, there's the power, no matter how vast or how small, to change the world.

Special Thanks: Shawn, thank you for listening to me plot and plan, and for giving me tips when you felt I needed it. Ang thanks for the enthusiasm and support. Enigma thank you so much for the constant faith in my work. Liz, my dear, thanks for being such a sweetheart! You four don't know how much I appreciate it all, or how much you've enriched my life simply by being who you are. As Shawn once said, thank you doesn't seem enough. I love you works best

A quick thanks to a reviewer for helping me with Tommy's correct address! Thanks David!

Please Visit http:/www.valhallaboard.com/forum/index.php - this is the multi-fandom message board I co-run with the four people in my "Special Thanks" section.

I feel so alone,  
Can't seem to find my out of this low?  
No, it don't seem right  
I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.

In this silent space,  
I close my eyes I can hear you say  
That it's alright,  
But my world's such an empty place tonight.  
Cause I know that,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.

As the time goes by,  
It gets a little easier to smile.  
I know I'll never forget  
Everything that you said.  
You said it's alright,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.

And the lights above you will never fade if you keep looking up  
Right around there is a better place if you believe in love.  
Cause I know that, it's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye, yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to, if I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on, the longest I'll hold on.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.  
God only knows.  
Ya, God only knows.  
God only knows.  
\- Orianthi, God Only Knows -

gok

10:45 A.M.  
Saturday  
April 4, 2009  
HWY 1  
Angel Grove, CA

Along the highway leading into town, she pulled the moving van with the car on a hitch over near the one lone sign along the way. Sitting in the cab, she stared at the sign, feeling a mixture of hope and despair as she did. The billboard held four pictures – one of each Ranger team who'd defended the city of Angel Grove in the first six years the Rangers had been on Earth. The part of her who'd been the fearless Pink Ranger, agile and graceful, seemed to sigh in relief at being home. The other part of her, the one who'd fled to Florida all those years ago cried and despaired at leaving her heart behind in Miami.

But she was a fighter under it all, and she knew, no matter how much it hurt, that if she stayed in Miami, she was going to die from the suffocating grief and hopelessness she'd been feeling for well over a year. Tommy's offer from the year before still rang in her ears. Her parents said she was running from reality – her husband and son were dead. Chris' mother thought it was inappropriate for her to just up and leave so soon. But their house had felt like a deep, dark, suffocating tomb in the months following Chris and Evan's deaths, and she just couldn't handle turning at every corner and remembering what no longer was. So maybe she was running from her pain, but for now, she knew, it was the only way to save herself.

Taking a deep breath, she started the van back up and pulled back onto the highway, her mind numb.

Welcome to Angel Grove indeed.

gok

11:30 A.M.  
Emerald Dawn Martial Arts Academy  
91495 Falcon Crest Ave  
Angel Grove, CA

Her first stop was the city's top martial arts dojo. She hadn't told anyone she was coming but something tugged at her to pop in and let Adam know she was in town. She couldn't help but smile when she pulled into the parking lot. The addition to the building that had just been started her last visit was now complete. Students were filing in, parents in tow, for their Saturday afternoon lessons. Through the windows she could see a familiar figure putting a large group of teenagers through their warm ups. For a moment, her mind super-imposed a memory from her youth over the sight before her; how many times had she watched him do exactly what he was doing, only at the youth center? Too many to count.

Shaking her head, she climbed out of the truck and headed inside. The receptionist waved her in, a smile lighting her face. The young woman behind the desk had been a young college freshman the last time she'd been in town, now she looked much more professional and comfortable in her role. Quietly, the petite woman moved to the front room, leaning against the archway, her eyes watching the class.

Dressed in blue gi trousers and a red tank top, his black belt secure around his wait, Rocky moved with competent efficiency. He was gentle with the students who were still struggling and firm with those advancing at a faster rate. "I'd like a volunteer for our next demonstration," he spoke up, watching as the students seemed to shy away. She judged this group to be just above the beginners. When it looked like he was going to have to pick a student, she pushed away from the wall, walked to the front of the room, and bowed before his surprised form.

"Will I do, Sensei?" she murmured, watching shock ripple across his features.

"Kimmie…" he whispered before a grin broke out. "You'll do." Turning to his students, he spoke. "Since no one is willing to volunteer, Mrs. Donavan will be helping me. Pay close attention, because as you see, I both out weigh her and tower over her."

Kimberly merely rolled her eyes at him. "What move?"

"Combination. Let's see if you remember."

The former Pink Ranger squeaked when Rocky's leg shot out, only to be blocked by both her hands coming up instinctively. It startled her when she spun on memory alone, her left leg sweeping around and connecting with his hands. The second his fingers closed around her calf, she pushed up with her right leg, her foot knocking into his shoulder as she tucked into a ball and somersaulted backwards. Rocky flew sideways, tucking his own body in to absorb the impact, the two of them springing up a good five feet from each other.

Grinning, he nodded and Kim flipped forward into a handspring before popping up to attack with a snap kick. Rocky grabbed her foot and flipped her backward. Before she landed, he swept her leg out from under her, causing her to crash to her back. He was impressed when she pushed up and faced him. Chuckling, they bowed. Amid the students' clapping, Rocky grabbed her hand and tugged her into a hug.

"You still got game."

For the first time in a long time, Kimberly felt laughter bubbling out, the sound carefree and happy. "Rocko, I love you," she hugged him tighter.

He said nothing when he felt the desperation in her embrace, he merely rubbed her back. "Adam's in the office, how about you go spring him," he suggested. As she went, he called out, "Welcome home!"

She watched him pouring over the appointment book, a phone at his ear, and the computer to his left showing the class scheduling program. He looked a little frustrated and unhappy as he talked to the person on the other end of the line. And then she realized when she saw him stiffen, that he'd sensed her presence – his eyes lifted, sparkling with surprise, and he stopped talking mid-sentence. "Tracy, I've got to go. Call me later."

"Hi."

"When did you get here?" came his rapid fire question as he jumped up and skirted his desk. Before Kim could comment she was pulled into his arms, her cheek against his shoulder. It felt so good to be home, she decided as her brother hugged her.

"Twenty minutes ago," she murmured, rubbing her cheek against the material of his shirt. He still smelled the same, even after all these years. If there was one thing she thanked God for, it was that Adam seemed unchanged.

"How come you didn't call?" he asked, his hands rubbing her back. He felt the tension in her and hopped to relieve some of it.

The former Pink Ranger said nothing as she relaxed against him. "I just packed up and came last minute. I had to come home, Adam." Even after all these years, he was still finely tuned to his sister's feelings. He laid his cheek against the back of her head, his arms tight around her, and he rocked her gently. Their beautiful crane had lost her will to fly, and his heart hurt to know she was struggling to regain her wings. She'd been through more than any one person should have to go through.

Leaning back, he looked down into her face. "Where are you staying?"

"There's a house out on Canyon Grove, near the lake, for rent. I've already talked to the owners. I'm going to rent it until I sell my house in Miami."

Adam nodded. "How much did you bring with you?" he asked, his mind already doing a mental count of who to call to help her unpack.

"Moving van and my car full."

"I'll gather what I can of the gang, meet you around four," he told her, smiling.

"Adam, I didn't want to bug any of you…"

"Come on, Kim. You know we're all more than willing to help," he admonished her.

The former Pink Ranger looked flustered. She'd gotten use to, over the years, not asking for help. It had been one thing when Chris was alive to lean on him; he was, after all, her husband and partner. It was another thing altogether to lean on her friends. She'd stopped doing that after leaving the team. "Adam…"

"I'll see you at four. Write down your address," he insisted. Reluctantly, Kim turned to his desk and on a sheet of paper wrote down her address.

"It's the only house on the hill," she told him, handing the paper over.

Adam just nodded. "Go on, you need to rest and I got some calls to make." Kim sighed, knowing there was no use arguing with him. Squeezing his hand one last time, she shot him a smile and then headed out.

gok

2:30 P.M.  
Kimberly Donovan’s Residence  
1993 Canyon Grove Rd.  
Angel Grove, CA

In the three hours after leaving the dojo, Kim slowly unloaded boxes from her moving truck. She had all her dishes in the kitchen, unpacked, and put away. She was just starting on the bathroom things when a caravan of vehicles pulled up outside in her driveway. Some of the faces she knew intimately, others she recognized from the funeral a year before. She couldn't help but grin when Aisha cam sprinting up the walkway.

"Kim!" the former Yellow Ninja laughed even as she threw her arms around her best friend.

"Hi Sha," Kim responded, wrapping her arms tight around her former teammate.

When the girls pulled apart, Kim was drawn into bear hugs from everyone who'd shown up; with Aisha were Tanya, Adam, Rocky, Justin, Jason, Zack and Tommy. She also recognized T.J., Carlos, Kira and Tori. "So, Adam and Rocky said you got huffy about us coming to help," T.J. scolded her as he pulled back from hugging her.

Kim had the grace to blush and part of her heart seemed to warm. It had been forever since she'd felt the unconditional acceptance from Ranger teammates – her own fault, by her own admission, but it still felt nice. "Thanks T.J."

He grinned and winked at her. "Start assigning stuff."

"I've got the kitchen completely unpacked," she started, wincing when both Tommy and Jason glared at her. "Kira, Tori, Tanya and Aisha can help me unload my clothes and bathroom stuff from my car while you guys handle the truck. Everything's labeled."

The group nodded in agreement and headed for the moving van, which sat in the large driveway with Kim's car settled on the car carrier behind it. It only took them two hours, but they had the truck unloaded and Kim's things inside and mostly unpacked. Sometime during the unpacking process, Kim sent Rocky into town for pizzas and beer to pay her friends back for their help.

"You picked a beautiful place," Tanya commented as the girls put Kim's clothes away and set up her bedroom. The former Yellow Ranger watched her friend staring out the window with curiosity. "Kim?"

"That's the sixth time today that car has driven past the house and just stopped at the end of the driveway," the petite brunette murmured.

The other four Ranger women joined her at the two big bay windows in the master suite. They watched a man get out of the car and stare at the house before he saw them watching him, quickly got back into his vehicle and sped away. "Creepy…" Kira uttered, shaking her head

"You do have a working alarm system, right?" Tori suddenly asked.

"Yeah."

gok

5:15 P.M.

After the unpacking was complete and dinner had been devoured, the group found themselves outside in Kim's backyard, several feet away from her private beach, playing flag football just like the old days. When she'd found she'd had enough, Kim dropped down on the steps to the deck, draining a water bottle as she watched her friends. Perhaps for the first time in well over a year, she felt a small measure of peace.

In her mind, she argued maybe she should have listened to her parents and stayed in Miami. In her heart, she knew she'd made the right decision, no matter how painful, to come back to California. It didn't make her loss any easier; at night she could still feel Chris' arms around her or hear Evan's laughter echoing around her. She still woke, in sweat and tears, every night from nightmares, knowing her family wouldn't be there when she opened her eyes. If she hadn't been in the shower that morning a year ago, she'd have been with them. Every morning she woke, she still wished she'd gone with them.

She knew now, what it was like to have a death wish. But she was also slowly accepting that the only way to make that wish come true would be to take the coward's way out. She refused to show that kind of weakness. She would live for the two of them, she would make sure they weren't forgotten.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Turning her head, she met the familiar brown orbs of her white knight. It had taken her a long, long time to think of him like that again, but when it came to Tommy, there was no other way to think of him. It had been her promise to him, on the day she'd buried her husband and son that she'd remembered only months before; that promise had prompted her to pack up and return to Angel Grove. He'd always only wanted the best for her, had always been there to catch her when she fell.

"You'd need the entire national treasury for my thoughts."

The former multi-colored Ranger chuckled and took a sip of the water bottle he'd snagged from the cooler. "That good huh?"

Kim just shrugged and smiled, watching Aisha flip over Rocky's fallen form to score a touchdown for her team. "I still can't believe I came back."

"To be honest with you, neither can I."

She gave him a look that said she didn't believe that comment for one minute before she turned back to stare at their friends. "It's been a struggle…" her voice hitched as she tried to express everything she was suddenly feeling. It was so very hard to tell him, and that gave her another ache; she'd never had trouble telling him how she felt, never. It was hard to live with how much some things had changed.

Tommy reached for her hand, squeezing tight. "And it will be, for a long time to come. You've lost the most precious and important thing in the world, Kimberly. You won't just magically heal; that isn't how this works. This is the one thing the power can't fix for you."

"I know. Things were so much easier then." Her voice was wistful, a feeling Tommy knew all too well.

"Yeah, but it made us cocky. We always assumed nothing could touch us. Every time we lost our powers, we got them back."

Kim nodded, knowing he was right. "Until Zordon and Trini died, we'd never suffered a loss that couldn't be fixed by going on a quest, or by believing in each other. We were so blessed and we never knew it."

"You'll get through this, Beautiful," he started, using his nickname for her. "You won't ever get over it, but you'll learn to live with it. I can't begin to image how you've managed to keep it all going when I know all you wanted to do was make all the hurt stop."

Tears came then, a torrential flood of them. She didn't know how she'd managed it either. For the last year, she'd simply functioned, she hadn't lived; she knew she'd died the day her family had. She felt so overwhelmed by all the changes that she never noticed Tommy had pulled her into the circle of his arms and cradled her against him.

It was in that moment when the dam broke that she felt an odd pressure in her chest, as if a piece of her heart was suddenly unthawing again. Eyes closed, energy gone, mind murky, Kim just lay limply against Tommy, her head on his shoulder, and felt the world tilt and shift around her. Tommy's arms would always be her ultimate comfort zone, despite having lived a full, happy life without him. He was just that special of a friend and an important part of the life she'd built. It amazed her that Chris had never questioned, even knowing their history, her relationship with Tommy. Her husband had been such a trusting, loving man; it was yet another painful reminder that he was gone.

"Hey! Isn't that the creepy guy from earlier?" Tori's voice cut through Kim's thoughts.

The former Pink Ranger's head came up as she, Aisha, Tanya and Kira looked to where the Blue Wind Ranger was pointing. Down the shore from Kim's beach house was the same man the girls had seen in front of the house a few hours earlier.

"I'm going to talk to him," Aisha grumbled, her voice giving the hint that she was ready for a rumbled.

A fierce and frightening fear gripped Kimberly's heart out of nowhere. She cried out incoherently, her hands reaching for Aisha who'd been standing not far from her. Alarmed, the former Rangers turned their attention back to their Pink Ranger. "Aisha don't!" Kim croaked. She couldn't explain why she was suddenly fearful, but she was. It was so real, despite being irrational.

"Relax girlfriend," Aisha soothed, rubbing a hand up Kim's arm. "I'll stay right here, promise."

Adam turned back and noticed the guy was suddenly gone. His eyes narrowed; something was up, he decided, making a mental note to talk to Alpha about it when he returned to the Dojo.

gok

11:45 P.M.

Kim had to smile at the memory of Aisha and Tanya arguing with her about someone spending the night because of the creeper from earlier that night. Leave it to her friends to want to care for her. But the fact remained, after her emotional breakdown, she needed space and quiet.

Her friends had been incredibly helpful; thanks to them most everything she'd brought was unpacked and put in its proper spots. Her exercise mats were set up in the back living room, which is where she was now. The lights were on low, the stereo was going thanks to Zack's need for music, and she was trying to relax. She moved slowly through her yoga movements, blending them with her old gymnastics warm ups, hoping to get the tension in her body to disappear. It'd been a long, long day and she was ready to go to sleep, but her mind was still going.

Hands and feet flat on the floor, bent over at the waist, she felt the odd pressure in her chest again. Rising slowly, she took ten slow, deep breaths to calm the pounding of her heart. Eyes alert, she looked at the kitchen's sliding glass door and found nothing or no one staring back at her when she knew she'd just felt like she was being watched. The blinds on the windows were all closed. Quietly, she crept into the front portion of the house. Her eyes widened when she saw her front door wide open. Her ears strained for any sound of an intruder but found none. Since she had no land line until Monday, she headed back into the kitchen to grab her cell phone off the counter.

With it gripped tightly in her hands, Kim made a complete sweep of the first floor. Nothing seemed disturbed or out of place, but she knew she'd closed and locked the door, at Tommy's insistence, when the gang had left earlier. Shaking her head, she quietly made her way up the stairs, praying she wouldn't make a noise and startle whoever it was that was in her house. All the doors on the second level were open, allowing her to enter each as quietly as possible.

She found nothing in either of the guest rooms or the bathroom. When she got to her room, both her windows were thrown open, the curtains blowing frantically in the wind that whipped through. On the center of her bed, a familiar carved wooden box lay, its contents strewn across her blankets. Her heart leapt into her throat when she found the most important object in the box missing. Her eyes watered at the thought that someone had stolen such a precious memento of her youth. And then she saw the odd glow coming from her bathroom.

Rage building, she dashed inside, a startled cry escaping her lips when she got a good look inside. In the center of her mirror, stuck to the glass, was the object she was looking for. Her eyes widened as she saw the glow coming from the pink lettering across the bottom.

It simply read: REMEMBER.

With trembling fingers, Kim opened her phone and dialed a number she knew by heart. "It's me. You need to come back here, and bring Billy with you."

gok

Sunday  
April 5, 2009  
12:10 A.M.

The two men came flying up her driveway, both still in their pajamas. Jason reached her first, drawing her into his arms. "What happened?"

"I'd better show you," she murmured before he passed her to Billy for a hug.

"Salutations and welcome home," the former Blue Genius greeted her. His speech patterns had reverted back to the way they were when they'd been younger during his time on Aquitar.

Kim thought it was a wonder she could still decipher what he was saying as she smiled at him. "Wish it were under better circumstances," she whispered, referring to their meeting.

Silence lay over them like a stifling blanket as Kim led them up to her room. Horror swept into Jason's eyes while Billy's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "What the hell?" the former Red Ranger muttered crossly.

"Your guess is as good as mine. The front door and my windows were open, as if someone was here, but no one was. My keepsake box, the one Zordon gave me after Murianthias, was upended on the bed and that was missing. And then I walked in here and found it, just as you see it."

Her hand trembled as she gestured to the mirror. Billy moved forward, studying the mirror carefully. "It doesn't appear to be glued on," he uttered. "Have you tried pulling it off?"

Kim shook her head. "I didn't want to do anything until you got here. You know me and my luck when it comes to things like this," she quipped, watching her two childhood friends roll their eyes. She didn't exactly have a great track record when it came to magical objects, and they all knew it.

The former Blue Ranger reached out and touched the golden coin at the center of the mirror. He let out a startled yelp and jumped back when he received an electric shock. Snatching his hand away, he saw an angry red spot at the tip of his finger.

"You okay?" Jason demanded.

"For the most part," Billy told him. "Kim, you touch it. I don't think either Jason or I can, or should."

Nodding, Kim hesitantly reached out her fingers, letting them brush her power coin. She stiffened in shock as energy raced down her arm. Jason let out a cry as he caught her body in his arms, her eyes rolling back in her head. "KIM!"

gok

12:15 A.M.  
Sloan-Park Apartment  
42096 Stone Garden Terrace  
Angel Grove, CA

Adam was sound asleep next to Tanya, dreaming of their upcoming vacation to Hawaii when the light in his dreams was replaced by darkness. Until now, the color black had never scared him; now it was terrifying him to no ends and he couldn't pinpoint why.

He was standing on the beach, the skies boiling with black clouds and fierce rumbling thunder. Two figures stood at opposite edges of the beach. One, a woman, dressed in shining white; the other, a man, dressed in fiery red.

Tensing, Adam expected a fight to begin. "You see what comes," a voice announced. Turning, the former Ranger watched a young man walk towards him. His eyes narrowed when the man shifted forms, becoming a woman.

"I see, but not understand."

"She has to make her choice again."

"She who?" Adam demanded.

"The guardian. She made her choice before, sixteen years ago. She has to make it again."

Adam shook his head. "She who?" he asked again.

The girl shifted, only this time into a beautiful bird. A crane. "Train her, he who is the Frog. Teach her to fly again. The dragon and the falcon will aide you, but the first step is yours. Train her."

With a gasp, Adam shot up in bed, his heart racing, his body covered in sweat, and his mouth bone dry. "Adam?" Tanya's sleepy voice called to him.

"Oh God," he uttered, his hand sweeping through his sweaty hair in agitation.

"What's wrong?" the former Yellow Ranger asked as she sat up, running her hand soothingly down his arm.

"I don't know…" he trailed off even as the phone on the nightstand shrieked to life.

gok

12:25 A.M.  
Tommy Oliver’s Residence  
1992 Valencia Rd  
Reefside, CA

He sat at his desk, papers scattered around him in various piles of graded, not graded, and ones he needed to make notes from. Most of his students had passed the pop quiz on Friday, but he found quite a few had gotten the same set of answers wrong. He made a note of it to go over it again and make sure it was on the final at the end of the year.

When he looked up, his screen saver was in the middle of changing; it turned into a picture of the team at Adam and Tanya's wedding. He signed, knowing just a few months later they'd lose Trini in a horrific car accident. He did smile though, the more he stared at the picture. Kim was tucked between him and Jason, with Aisha, and Zack at their feet, kneeling. Billy, Trini and Justin were crouched in front of Rocky, Adam, Tanya and Kat a bit more to the right. So much had changed since then, and yet, a lot was still the same…

The instant the image shifted to one of him and Kim from Junior Prom, the phone blared. He nearly fell out of his chair as he twisted to reach for it. "Hello?"

gok

2:00 A.M.  
Kimberly Donovan’s Residence  
1993 Canyon Grove Rd.  
Angel Grove, CA

The house was lit up in every conceivable way. Ever room was illuminated by lamp or flashlight. Kimberly was in the living room, resting on the couch. Tanya, Aisha and Katherine watched over her, each tense and worried. While they were downstairs, Rocky, Tommy, Zack and Adam had joined Billy and Jason in Kim's bathroom. Justin had taken up residence in the kitchen to keep the coffee coming while the others tried to figure out what had happened.

"I still don't get it!" Hayley's tired voice sounded out of Tommy's open cell. "The computers aren't showing any spikes. If it happened exactly as Billy said it did, they should have registered the flux in power."

"Hayley, keep looking. I'll check in with you in a bit," Tommy's exhausted and confused voice spoke out.

"Sure."

The guys all looked at Billy, who was still studying the power coin in his hand and mirror, for answers. The second Kim had touched it, she'd fainted and the coin had come free from the mirror. "I'm at a loss, to be honest. None of this is making any sense to me," Billy sighed.

Rocky cleared his throat. "My only question is this – is Kim okay?"

Jason nodded. "She's just sleeping. She woke up as soon as you guys got here."

While they were in the bathroom, Adam stood by Kimberly's windows, his mind still on his dream from earlier, when he saw the figure at the end of the driveway. His eyes narrowed, Adam tried to mask the shiver that ran through him. The man in the driveway was the same one who Kim had been so afraid of the evening before, and one of the men from his dreams. The former Black and Green Ranger stood guard, the steely glare in his eyes focused on the stranger. He watched the man's eyes flicker from looking at him to staring at Kim's front door. Reaching out, Adam laid his palm against the wall, unsure of what it would do. Unseen by the others, the house took on an eerie, other-worldly black glow. Just as soon as it was there it was gone. Adam smiled in satisfaction when the man flinched and backed away from the house.

"Adam?"

Turning, his eyes latched onto his friends. They were all staring at him funny. "Yeah?"

"You said something but never finished," Rocky finally spoke up.

Had he been talking out loud and not known it? He couldn't remember. "I think Kim should come to the dojo, take some self-defense classes with me and Rocky. If she's going to be dealing with weird stuff again, she needs to be prepared."

The guys nodded their agreement. "And you two would be the most likely to be able to keep an eye on her," Jason reasoned, rubbing his hand over tired eyes.

Adam signed before his expression turned to a grin. He knew it was a needed distraction for Kimberly, and would ease all their minds. It was going to be interesting to see how she reacted to the idea.

gok

Monday  
April 6, 2009  
7:30 A.M.  
Emerald Dawn Martial Arts Academy  
91495 Falcon Crest Ave  
Angel Grove, CA

She walked into the dojo, her nerves screaming. Adam had told her to come before opening, that he had a surprise for her. "Morning Mrs. Donavan," Rochelle called out as she emerged from the hallway leading to Adam's office.

"Good morning," Kim greeted back, looking a little lost. "Is Adam around?"

"He and Rocky are in the backroom, setting up your surprise. Go ahead and go back."

Kim nodded and headed into the back gym. She gave a gasp of surprise when she saw Rocky and Adam tightening the anchors of a full size balance beam. "Hi Shortie!" Rocky laughed, waving her in.

"What is all this?" she asked, biting her bottom lip. There were practice mats set up everywhere, leaving a large opening space to the right of the beam the guys were setting up for anyone who wanted to perform a full floor routine.

Adam and Rocky grinned at each other before Adam finally spoke up. "We wanted you to be comfortable," he told her. "I called Ernie early this morning and asked him if we could borrow the one beam that's used for competitions until we could get a more permanent one here. When we told him it was for you, he was all for it."

"You didn't need to go to all this trouble," she murmured, knowing she shouldn't be shocked by the generosity of the two men before her, or Ernie.

"Frog-man here figured you could use the equipment to keep in shape, and really, we don't use this back room for anything right now," Rocky grinned.

Turning to Adam, she pinned the former Black and Green Ranger with a stare. "I really don't need all this, and honestly, why the self defense classes? It's not like I can't take care of myself," she reminded them.

Rocky rolled his eyes at her while Adam walked to her, his face stone serious. "Humor us, okay?"

"Fine," she muttered. "When do we start?"

"As soon as you change."


	3. Settling In

God Only Knows  
Chapter 2: Settling In  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Started: March 15, 2010  
Finished: April 16, 2010  
Summary: The hardest part of faith is the last hour. -- David Wilkerson  
Rating: M  
Characters: you’ll see

Author’s Note: Okay, so, this story is going to be a departure from some of the other stories I’ve done over the years, but in some ways, this story involves the one character I like to think I know best in the entire PR universe. This is not going to be a story returning the Rangers as we know them back to the way they were in the good ‘ol days. The Rangers in this story have lives, real lives, and they’re going through real, everyday experiences, and for one of those Rangers, it means discovering what she’s really made of. Life has not been kind, nor will it be in this story. What this is, above all else, is a journey of self discovery, of finding who you are and what you’re made of, and in the end, it’s learning that in each of us, there’s the power, no matter how vast or how small, to change the world.

Special Thanks: Shawn, thank you for listening to me plot and plan, and for giving me tips when you felt I needed it. Ang thanks for the enthusiasm and support. Enigma thank you so much for the constant faith in my work. Liz, my dear, thanks for being such a sweetheart! You four don't know how much I appreciate it all, or how much you've enriched my life simply by being who you are. As Shawn once said, thank you doesn't seem enough. I love you works best

Please Visit http:/www.valhallaboard.com/forum/index.php - this is the multi-fandom message board I co-run with the four people in my "Special Thanks" section.

I feel so alone,  
Can't seem to find my out of this low?  
No, it don't seem right  
I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.

In this silent space,  
I close my eyes I can hear you say  
That it's alright,  
But my world's such an empty place tonight.  
Cause I know that,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.

As the time goes by,  
It gets a little easier to smile.  
I know I'll never forget  
Everything that you said.  
You said it's alright,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.

And the lights above you will never fade if you keep looking up  
Right around there is a better place if you believe in love.  
Cause I know that, it's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye, yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to, if I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on, the longest I'll hold on.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.  
God only knows.  
Ya, God only knows.  
God only knows.  
\- Orianthi, God Only Knows -

gok

11:30 A.M.  
Thursday  
April 9, 2009  
I-5 Northbound to Los Angeles

“Thanks for coming with me,” Kim grinned, navigating off the I-5 freeway toward the traffic of downtown Los Angeles. Jason sat in the passenger seat next to her, his head thrown back, dark sunglasses over his eyes and the wind brushing at his hair. Adam was kicked back in the backseat, his arms spread over the top of the seat. The top of her car was down and the music was blaring, all of them enjoying the ride.

“Not a problem Sis,” Jason laughed, inching his glasses down. “Nothing better than spending a sunny day off with friends and browsing downtown L.A.”

Kim giggled, a sound Jason wasn’t sure he’d ever hear again, and nodded. “Billy said there was a book store up here I should check out.”

“Good. Maybe I can get a couple of the Karate magazines Rocky and I haven’t been able to find,” Adam piped up.

“Tommy’s meeting us for lunch at one,” Jason reminded them.

Kim nodded as she navigated through a maze of streets. “You’re going to have to direct me, cause I have no clue where that restaurant is.”

Jason winked before pushing his glasses back up. “It’s out at USC, no problem.”

gok

11:55 A.M.  
Mystic Teachings Books  
102 E. 4th St.  
Los Angeles, CA

“You’ve got to be kidding!” the petite former Ranger laughed insanely as she parked in front of the hole in the wall bookstore Billy had given her the address for.

“Leave it to Billy to find a bookstore with that title!” Jason cracked as the three friends headed inside.

The interior was lit by low burning lamps and strategically placed candles of varying colors. The rows of books were tightly packed, some of the spines old and worn while others were shiny and new. The walls were lined with paintings of mythical scenes – Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, Gandalf the White riding into battle upon his great steed, a unicorn herding a large black bull into the ocean, Aladdin discovering a genie in a lamp, and many more. Adam grinned and pointed out the cloth covered doorway, causing Jason to shake his head. “This looks more like an occult shop than a book store,” the former Red and Gold Ranger quipped.

Kim rolled her eyes at them before moving to browse the books. The selection was definitely eclectic – she found classic fairytales, Shakespeare, and poetry mixed in with Windows for Dummies, Harry Potter, and organic gardening. For some reason, she inexplicably found herself drawn to the darkest corner of the store where she found obscure international fairytales. As she browsed through the titles, she found one written in an Asian script. When she pulled the book out, the front was emblazed with a crane taking flight. “Adam?” she softly called.

A few seconds later, Adam appeared from around a corner. “Yeah?”

“Can you read the title?” she softly asked, holding the book out to him.

“I think it’s in Kanji, but I should be able to,” he murmured back, studying the characters. “It basically translates to Flight Of The Crane,” he told her. Without a word Kim took the book and opened it, finding the inside written in all English. “That’s weird,” Adam commented.

“I think I want to get it,” Kim quietly told him, her eyes glazed over a little. Adam frowned, noting how she seemed to grow quieter by the second.

“You two ready to go? If we’re going to get to USC, we’d better leave now,” Jason started as he popped up out of nowhere. Adam looked down at his watched and noticed they’d been there nearly a half hour.

“Coming,” Kim responded absently, following the two of them to the register.

Adam’s eyes widened in shock when Kim moved to pay for her book; the cashier at the register was the woman in white from his dream. “Thank you for your patronage,” she thanked them. Her eyes, which seemed to be more violet than blue, locked with Adam’s. Her smile was sensual and knowing, and she seemed to know more than she should. Kim and Jason paid no attention as they headed out, but Adam remained.

“Beware, courageous teacher,” she spoke elegantly. “The evil one comes, and he will tempt the guardian in ways you cannot fathom.”

“Who are you?”

She smiled. “They call me Kallisto. Go now, and guard her well.”

Adam walked out of the shop, troubled and worried. Jason eyed him carefully as he got into the backseat of Kim’s car. “You okay, Frog-man?”

The former Black and Green Ranger nodded. “Tell you later.” Jason shrugged and let it go as he directed Kim into traffic and toward USC.

gok

12:30 P.M.  
Mc Kay’s  
3540 South Figueroa Street,  
Los Angeles, CA 90007-4313

Tommy noticed Adam’s preoccupation as soon as the group sat down to eat. Having known the Asian man over ten years as well as having trusted him with his life, Tommy knew when something was bothering his friend. While Kim and Jason were debating lunch, Tommy leaned over toward Adam. “You okay, Bro? You look upset.”

The former Ranger debated a few seconds before speaking. “Something weird has been going on,” Adam told him, letting out a long, quiet sigh.

Tommy chuckled. “Define weird.”

“Ranger weird.” Adam knew that would get his attention.

The legendary former Ranger sat up a little straighter at that. He, Jason and Adam had been the only ones of their team called back to duty over the years. If Adam said something was up, it probably was. Tommy trusted his friend’s instincts better than almost anyone’s. “Adam?”

“I don’t have coherent details yet. When I do, I’ll tell you.” Tommy simply nodded before the two of them looked back at the menu and entered the conversation with their friends.

gok

7:45 P.M.  
Sloan-Park Apartment  
42096 Stone Garden Terrace  
Angel Grove, CA

As Kim pulled up outside Adam and Tanya’s, she felt the tension build. Adam had been silent since they’d left lunch, the former Ninja obviously lost in his own thoughts. “Want to talk about it?” she finally asked, turning to him after she shut off the car.

“Nothing’s wrong,” he told her. “I’m just trying to work something out in my head.”

Biting her lip, Kim brought up something she hadn’t earlier. “You seemed like you knew that lady at the bookstore.”

Adam was surprised she had noticed and his expression said as much. “Know of her,” he supplied.

The former Pink Ranger nodded. “She upset you.”

“Perplexed me actually. She speaks in riddles.”

Kim laughed. “After Dimitria, you should be use to it.”

Adam’s smile was genuine as he nodded and reached for her hand, squeezing it. “Be careful going home, and I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow.”

The brunette squeezed his hand back. “Are you going to tell me why you’re so adamant about training me?”

The former Black and Green Ranger sighed. “Times have chanced, Kim. Angel Grove isn’t how it use to be when we were kids. Besides, I’d sleep better knowing you’re up to date on some self defense moves. You do happen to live in the sticks.”

With a heavy sigh, she nodded. She’d learned long ago to trust not only her instincts but those of her friends as well. It was time she got back in that habit again. “See you in the morning.”

She waited until he was inside the building before she moved away from the curb. As she pulled up to a stop sign at the end of the block, another car pulled up behind her. When she looked in the mirror, she started shaking; in the car was the creepy man who’d been stalking her since she’d moved home. Part of her wanted to get out and demand he tell her why he was bothering her, and part of her wanted to flee. Deciding on neither course of action, she headed for the market a few streets over to get some groceries, knowing he would follow her.

Kim realized she’d pegged him right when she saw him pull into the parking lot behind her. Parking as close as she could to the doors, she hurried inside, hoping to hide among the other shoppers before making her getaway. Quickly, she went through the aisles, gathering what she needed and hurried to the cashier.

“Are you alright sweetie?” the older woman at the register asked, watching Kim nervously scan the front of the store.

“Fine, just in a hurry to get home,” Kim murmured, eyes alert. She knew what she must have looked like – someone who was hiding something – but she didn’t care. Once she was checked out, Kim dashed out to her car, throwing her bags into the backseat. So far so good, she thought as she backed out of the space, only to find herself blocked in. Eyes widened in panic when she saw him getting out of the car and coming to her door. He tapped on her window, but she kept her attention forward and reached for her cell phone in her purse.

“Ms. Hart…” he started, his voice slightly distorted from the glass.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not my name,” she responded. Hadn’t been her name since she’d gotten married in 2003.

“Excuse me, you’re correct, Mrs. Donovan.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but I have to be going. Could you please move your vehicle?”

“Kimberly, I need to speak with your urgently, and you’re being rude. What would Zordon say?”

Her body froze, her heart stopped, and her mind began to race. “Look, I don’t know who you’re talking about. Now move your car before I call the police.”

“We’ll talk again, Guardian Crane.”

Kim watched in fascinated terror as he and his car disappeared into thin air. Her breathing was erratic, her ability to cope with weird having been reduced over the years, she felt herself heading for a panic attack and she knew it. Her movements were jerky as she backed the car out of it’s spot and headed home. The ten minute trip proved to be her undoing as every sound on the drive made her jump, cry out, and bite her lip.

‘I just want to be normal! I do not want to be dragged back into Ranger business! Why can’t people get that? I’m powerless, leave me alone!’ she cried to herself as she dragged her groceries into the house and shoved them into the refrigerator. Before the door of the appliance even shut, Kim was charging up the stairs to her room, where she collapsed on her bed, face buried in her pillow.

The sun was warm on her face, the sand soft between her toes. It felt like it was the first time she’d been free in almost five years. Ever since she’d moved from California, her life had revolved around gymnastics – training, competing, doing press, studying, trying to make each move and each routine better than the last. The one bright spot in the last three years was the man lying next to her on the beach blanket. They’d met at the University of Miami, where they were both studying for careers in law – his dream was to get a job with the prosecutor’s office while she wanted to go into family law. He’d be graduating next year and going to law school while she had one more year to go. It still amazed her how well they meshed, and how he’d help heal the break in her heart. As surely as she’d hurt her best friend, she too had turned around and found her heart being shattered. The man before her had been patient, kind, compassionate, and romantic in his pursuit of her. It amazed her that he knew jus when to push and when not to; it was hard not to compare him to the boy she’d loved once, but the similarities in how the two of them handled her and her moods was uncanny.

“What’s got you smiling?” his warm baritone called out to her seconds before he gently slid his fingers up and down her back, causing her to shiver.

“Just thinking…” she smiled, laying back on his arm before turning her head in his direction. “Have a nice nap?”

He grinned and rolled over, pulling his arm from under her to prop up his head while he drew her to his chest with the other. “Would have been better if you’d napped with me,” he teased, leaning forward to kiss her softly.

She rolled her eyes at him before snuggling close and relaxing. “This is has been the best vacation in recent memory.”

“No teachers, no parents, no jobs, and no demands on our time but the ones we put on it,” he laughed, and then looked down at his watch. “If we’re going to make our dinner reservations, we need to head back to the hotel and clean up.”

“Food! Yum!” she chirped, making him chuckle as she scrambled up.

“Only you, Kim, only you.”

Head buried under the pillows, she flailed her hand toward her nightstand as she woke to the annoyingly shrill chirp of the alarm. Groggy, and not quite sure why, she heaved a sigh and crawled out of bed and dragged herself toward the shower.

Under the hot, misty spray, memories slowly filtered back into her mind. Her and Chris’ first vacation to the beach was a cherished memory of days gone by; the crazy man from the night before had been real, not a dream. And the memory made her shudder. She’d come back to Angel Grove for peace and quiet. Zedd, Rita and all their other goonish friends were long gone. Weird things weren’t supposed to happen now, especially to her.

“MOMMY!”

Her whole body jerked on instinct when she heard the tiny, happy voice calling out to her. Tears sprang to her eyes as she threw the shower curtain open. “EVAN!” she called back, quickly wrapping a towel around her trembling body and rushed from the bathroom. “Evan!” she cried out, searching every room for her little boy but finding no sign of him anywhere.

“Mommy!”

Sick with fear and worry, she flew down the stairs, taking them two at a time even as she stumbled. Just like before, every room on the first floor was empty. Panting, sobs stuck in her throat, she saw the front door wired open. Out on the street, she saw her little boy bouncing a ball just beyond the curb. “Evan Christopher Donovan!”

Eyes wide with a sickening fear, she watched as a car sped over the crest of the hill. She pushed her body to its limit as she sprinted across the lawn but was too late. Her voice ripped from her throat as the car struck her son, sending his tiny body up and over the roof before his limp body crashed down on the pavement, limbs splayed in unnatural positions.

Every mother’s worst nightmare.

“EVAN!”

gok

7:45 A.M.  
Friday  
April 10, 2009  
Kimberly Donovan’s Residence  
1993 Canyon Grove Rd.  
Angel Grove, CA

Kim jerked awake, her chest heaving, body covered in a horrible sheen of sweat as it seemed to burn up on the outside despite the chill that went all the way to her bones. Biting back a sob, she shook her head to clear out the misty from the dream. She hadn’t had a nightmare like that in several months. Worse, it wasn’t a nightmare like the ones she’d had after Evan and Chris had died. This was way worse. Her son had been killed before her very eyes. Sobbing almost hysterically, she grabbed her pillow and laid back against the headboard, clutching it to her chest. She let her emotions go, knowing her body needed to purge the feelings. Trying to swallow, she felt herself starting to dry-heave. With a speed and strength her sluggish body should have had, Kimberly dove off the bed and stumbled into the bathroom. Her retching echoed off the walls and out into her bedroom but she didn’t seem to notice. Exhausted, she curled into a ball on the floor, letting the cool tiles soother her over-heated body.

“Oh God!” she moaned. “Why?” came the pitifully sounding cry. Just when life was settling down again, she was plagued again by more horrific nightmares, these ones more intense than any she’d had before.

Closing her eyes, the petite former gymnast pulled inward, trying to regain her equilibrium. She’d learned to cope by pulling everything inside and sealing it off until she had time to take it out and deal with it. This was no different; it was only a lot larger than anything she’d ever experienced. Once she was calm again, Kim pushed up off the floor. Her arms and legs shook wildly with the effort it took to get up and get moving. When she was standing, she wondered if her knees would just give out on her from all the shaking they were doing. If she didn’t know any better, she’d have thought she had the flu. After her first physical step out of the bathroom, she stopped worrying and made up her mind that she wasn’t going to fall, that she would make it to her bed. Her determination and steel will made her force herself to get her clothes around and head back in to the shower. She had a few appointments to keep.

gok

9:50 A.M.  
Parker, Parker, Grimes and Associates  
303526 Urbana Drive  
18th Floor  
Angel Grove, CA

She strode confidently out of the elevator wearing a black Versace power suit, black hose, and as close to black fuck-me heels as she dared. The suit was offset by the white pearls that rode the hollow of her throat, the pink and gold cameo crane on her lapel, the diamond tennis bracelet on her right wrist, the diamond teardrop earrings shooting fire from her ears and the wedding ring set still adorning her left hand.

Her smile was warm and friendly, just as it had been nearly two decades before when the cute new kid in school had saved her from the school bullies. Her skill and magic with makeup and clothes covered any and all signs of her hellish morning. If a person hadn’t known she’d been a crying mess, they’d have never suspected. “Can I help you?” the receptionist asked, looking up from the computer.

“Kimberly Donovan to see Ms. Parker please.”

“One moment.”

While the receptionist made the call, Kimberly took the time to look around the outer office of the law firm. It was done in a modern Japanese motif. Several ornate fans hung on the walls, each adorned differently; one held a phoenix, one a dragon, one was a city scene and the last one was a flock of cranes in flight. Hardwood floors were expertly and strategically covered with expensive oriental themed rugs. The furniture was all made from bamboo and looked ridiculously expensive. The walls were painted black with golden trip at the top and bottom while the ceiling was white. Overall, it had a quietly dignified look to it.

“Mrs. Donovan, Ms. Parker will see you now. Follow me please.”

Kimberly followed the receptionist around the large frosted glass wall that separated the receiving area from the rest of the offices. They walked down a long hallway to the last door on the left. “Ms. Parker, Mrs. Donovan,” the woman said after she opened the door.

A tiny woman of obvious American Indian descent sat behind a large oak desk. At her back were two walls of nothing but crystalline glass, giving a perfect view of Downtown. “Thank you, Elisa,” Ms. Parker spoke. “When Stefano is done with his client and Vivian returns from the courthouse, will you tell them I’d like to speak to them?” At Elisa’s nod, the woman in the black pinstripe suit turned her attention back to Kimberly. “Have a seat, Mrs. Donovan.”

Kimberly set her briefcase on the floor as she took a seat in one of the plush leather chairs in front of the big desk. An unadorned plague in black and gold sat on the edge, engraved with the words ‘Serenity Parker’. “I’m afraid my sister and our partner won’t be able to join us, they’re a bit preoccupied with clients.”

“I understand.”

Nodding, Serenity looked down at the folder that was open on her desk. “You’re from Angel Grove, aren’t you?”

Kim’s smile grew, an affection for her hometown entering her voice. “I grew up here, yes.”

“What brings you back? I saw your resume had you at Tirrell and Hobbs in Miami, but that was over a year ago.”

Taking a deep breath, Kim tried to reign in her emotions. Talking about what had happened was only that much harder after the morning’s events. “My husband and son were killed last year. I took time off, to get myself in order.”

The former Pink Ranger sighed when she watched the sympathy flash across the woman’s features. Genuine or not, Kimberly didn’t want sympathy. She wanted a job, and a chance to get her life back in order. “What are you looking to accomplish, Mrs. Donovan?”

Kim bit back a sarcastic remark. “I want to start back part time, possibly work up to a full time position with a firm. I’ve taken over a year off, sitting at home isn’t going to help me,” she bluntly told the woman before her.

“Your forte is family and business law,” Serenity read from the resume.

“Yes.”

Nodding, she wrote something down. Kimberly watched her go through the resume. “You’ve got quite an eclectic set of references here,” Serenity spoke, looking up. “Both personal and professional.”

Kimberly smiled. She had Billy, Tommy, Aisha, Michael Donovan and the dean of the Law School at University of Miami. It still made her laugh to know she had a NASADA scientist, a famous Paleontologist, one of Angel Grove’s most popular business owners, her father in law, and the dean of her law school on her references list. “I know. Mixture of friends, and adults I’ve trusted.”

“You sat in on some pretty important cases in the Miami area, courtesy of the dean, and then you got a job before you graduated working at Tirrell and Hobbs.”

“My husband was Christopher Donovan.”

“One of the most prestigious lawyers in Florida, and the country; a family legacy of law,” Serenity noted, making the connection to Michael.

Kim nodded. “I’m not ashamed to admit he and his father helped me get my position at Tirrell and Hobbs, but I worked my tail off, starting from the ground up.”

“Yes, I’m aware of that.” Serenity looked back at the file and then up at Kimberly. “You passed the Florida bar on the first time.”

“You know how it is, you study your brains out for three months and pray that you get lucky and retain all of it.”

“Can you be ready to take the California bar at the end of the summer, say around July?”

The former Pink Ranger’s eyes sparkled. She knew she had the job in the bag. “Absolutely.”

“Good. Once you pass the bar, you’ll be a junior associate. When you’re ready to go full time, there will be a place for you here.”

With a confident, bright smile, Kimberly nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’ll be expected to work at least five hours a day, Monday through Friday. Given your experience, I’ll let you decide your hours, but we’d prefer you be here by noon. You can start Monday, as that’s when your office will be free. When you come in, just let Elisa know who you are, alright?”

The two stood and Kimberly extended her hand. “Thank you for the opportunity.”

“You’re welcome,” Serenity told her, her face turning serious. “But believe me, you’re going to earn it. We’d already spoken to your previous employer before we called you in. They were sorry to lose you but did nothing but sing your praises. Plus, you’re a hometown girl; it played highly into your favor.”

Tears filled Kim’s eyes before she blinked them back. She’d done her best to make an impression at Tirrell and Hobbs; it was nice to know someone had recognized her hard work.

gok

8:15 P.M.  
The Power Bar  
2010 Main Street  
Angel Grove, CA

Rocky had insisted they celebrate, so an impromptu party had broken out at the bar across the street from his apartment. The Power Bar was filled with an assortment of friends, most of them former Rangers. Kim couldn’t help but laugh when the drunken former Red and Blue Ranger talked an equally drunk Jason and Billy into singing Karaoke with him. Sitting with Adam and Tanya, Kim clutched her sides and watched her friends make idiots out of themselves.

As she was lifting her drink, Kim felt a tingling at her spine, one that hadn’t been felt in years. Blinking, she half expected to hear a six tone signal interrupt their fun. She began to panic when everything went in slow motion around her before the world completely stopped. Turning, she saw none of her friends moving, the bartender was suspended in mid-pour, the sounds from the karaoke machine were gone; everything had ground to a halt. And then she looked behind Adam, and felt her heart speed up.

“Hello my dear,” he whispered soothingly.

Kimberly began to tremble from head to toe, staring at the man who’d chased her the night before. “What do you want?”

“To talk to you.”

“About?” she bit out.

“Not here. We should be celebrating your good fortunate. You’ve been hired by one of the top firms in Angel Grove.”

The former Ranger did her best to hide her trembling from him; he shouldn’t have known that, or anything about her. “Talk. NOW.”

“You’re being awfully rude, my lady,” he whispered in a hard, dark voice that shook Kim to the core. It was reminiscent of Lord Zedd at his worst. “Our time to talk is soon. And you may call me Hayden, graceful Crane.”

Kim blinked rapidly as the world began to spin back into motion at the speed of fast forward. “You okay?” Tanya curiously asked, leaning close to her and rubbing a hand up and down her arm.

“Fine. I’ve just been really spacey lately,” Kim muttered.

“A lot of changes in a short amount of time. Give yourself a break,” Tanya told her, patting her shoulder. “How are your lessons coming?”

The former Ranger grinned at that. “Adam is a slave driver,” she quipped, making Tanya chuckle. “I’m a little rusty, but it’s coming back quickly.”

“He’s gotten more demanding in his old age,” Tanya teased, watching her husband shoot her a sidelong glance, his eyebrow cocked up, before a slow, easy grin split his lips.

“Isn’t that the lady from the bookstore?” Kim suddenly asked, pointing toward the door.

Adam sat up straighter, looking over to where his sister was pointing. Tension knotted his muscles; his eyes went dark with the power at his command. “Yeah.”

“Mrs. Donovan?” the woman asked softly, brushing her long black hair from her face. Violet eyes shimmered with power. Adam knew it shouldn’t be possible, but being a Ranger taught him otherwise.

“Yes?” Kim almost quivered before her. Adam flinched. The Pink Ranger’s courage and spine were still shaky at times. It left him heart-sick to see her fear anything or anyone.

“You left this at my shop yesterday,” Kallisto told her, holding out a circular gold object. Kim’s eyes widened. She hadn’t left that anywhere but home.

Shaking her head, Kim whispered, “That’s not mine.”

Kallisto smiled indulgently. “Yes, it is, just like the one in the teacher’s pocket is his; emblazed with a frog, courageous in spirit.”

Adam moved to stand with his hand on Kimberly’s shoulder. “If she says it isn’t hers, it isn’t.”

The tall woman’s violet eyes snapped with impatience. “Remembering is only half the battle,” Kallisto snapped. “Being prepared to accept your destiny is the other.”

“Leave me alone, both of you! I’m just a normal woman!” Kim argued, shaking her head. She wanted to run but the tight, reassuring grip Adam had on her shoulder kept her in place.

Kallisto’s expression went blank. “Kimberly, take the coin,” she commanded. “Don’t speak to him again if he comes.”

Adam felt he shift in Kimberly’s emotions. The former Pink Ranger didn’t take kindly to being told what to do, he’d learned that from the few times Jason and Tommy had commanded her to do something. “Who the hell do you…” Kim started.

“Kimberly, he’s trying to trick you,” Kallisto passionately told her. “He’ll lie, scheme and cheat to turn you in his favor. And when you least expect it, he’ll destroy your soul and kill those you love most.”

It was then that Adam noticed none of the others, save for Jason, recognized what was happening around them. “Problem?” the former Red and Gold Ranger asked, aligning himself with Adam at Kimberly’s side.

“Rain can only do so much, the rest is on your shoulders,” Kallisto told the two men. “And the final choice is yours.” Her eyes were locked on Kim’s.

In the blink of an eye, Kallisto disappeared but not before placing the coin in Kim’s hand. The trio looked to one another for answers and got none. “Kim…” Jason started, only to be stopped by Adam. The blank expression on Kim’s face was more telling than any words – the former Pink Ranger was blacking out the strange happenings.

“Something’s going on,” Adam’s voice dropped. “And I know just who to ask.”

gok

1:30 A.M.  
Saturday  
April 11, 2009  
Sloan-Park Apartment  
42096 Stone Garden Terrace  
Angel Grove, CA

While Tanya slept in the comfort and security of their bedroom, Adam sat on the floor of their living room. Thick, black candles surrounded him on the floor. Each were lit and each were inscribed with the Chinese symbol for the direction they faced – North, South, East, West, and with an element – Fire, Water, Earth and Air. He sat in the center, legs folded beneath him, eyes closed, as he began to meditate and pray for protection. While he did so, the golden flames of the candles began to turn green, bathing him in their light. Slowly and quietly, he began to call the one Kallisto had called Rain. The former Ranger had the sneaking suspicion Rain was the shape shifter from his dreams.

 

“You called me, Teacher,” the familiar voice of the woman in his dream sounded. When Adam opened his eyes, he was on the beach again.

 

“I need your help.”

“You have all you need.”

“Physically. I need information.” Adam watched in fascination as half of Rain’s face changed from woman to man. The rest of the body followed suit. “Neat trick.”

“Come, Teacher, walk with me,” Rain beckoned. As they walked along the beach, Adam watched scenes play in the sky and the rolling water. Scenes that were as familiar to him as the day they had happened – becoming a Ranger, losing the power, watching Kimberly struggle with her loss of power, and the funeral of her family. “Ask your questions.”

“The Guardian?”

“You know who she is already.”

“Kimberly.”

“The Crane’s wings were clipped many years ago, and those not of your plane of existence believed she was no longer the key to the war,” Rain explained, sighing heavily. “Kallisto never gave up her belief that Zordon’s chosen would yield the key. She’s always suspected it was one of the first two.”

“Trini and Kim.”

Rain nodded. “With the death of the Griffin, and Zordon’s unfortunate passing, Hayden realized the Crane was still the key.”

“I don’t understand.” Rain seemed to smile at Adam’s frustration.

“Zordon’s death broke the cloak over her. From the very moment he made her a Ranger, he shielded her from all eyes. Her choice to fight for good topped the balance in his favor.”

Adam was starting to make sense of the situation, slowly. “So why does she have to choose again? Why now?”

Rain looked saddened. “The death of her family has set her on the edge.”

“Did they die because of this?” Adam fiercely demanded, his voice rising. He’d damn and curse whoever had killed them to get to Kim. Innocents, both of them.

“No,” Rain murmured. “It was their time, no one from the other side had anything to do with their deaths. This I can promise you.”

“I just don’t understand…”

“In her own pain, the Crane’s sense of right and wrong has been shattered. She no longer has the faith that made her so strong before. Her heart is broken, her will to fly gone. You know this as well as I. Your job, along with the others, is to strengthen her, mind and body. She alone can make her choice.”

Adam felt a resolve he hadn’t had since facing Thrax. “Kallisto said Hayden would try to trick her.”

“Hayden is a master of manipulation; Kallisto is a master of guilt and duty. I serve neither, but I know which way the war beyond your world will go should the Guardian align herself with Hayden.”

The former Ranger swallowed hard. “And?”

“Everything you know and hold dear will perish; all the hope and love of this world will be destroyed. If Earth falls, others will follow. Zedd and Zordon knew this, hence their ten thousand year battle.”

“Adam?”

The Asian man slowly cam to at the worried sound of his wife’s voice. Cool, soft hands pressed against his cheeks. When he opened his eyes, Tanya was leaning over him. “Baby?”

“Are you alright?” she shakily asked.

“I think so,” he uttered, pushing up from where he was sprawled on the floor. The candles he’d lit were gutted out and the sun was coming up, shining through the window.

“What happened?” Tanya questioned.

“I don’t know.”

gok

9:00 A.M.  
Kimberly Donovan’s Residence  
1993 Canyon Grove Rd.  
Angel Grove, CA

She sat in the center of her bed, covers and pillows mounded around her. In her lap was the old book she’d gotten at Mystic Teachings. The inside bore no author’s name, simply an image of a crane in flight. Tears moistened her eyes, bringing an ache to her heart. She’d lost so much over the years, but until Chris and Evan she’d always weathered the storm destiny had wrought. She had always understood that some things were just meant to be, while a good portion of destiny was decided but the choices a person made. She liked to think it was fifty-fifty. In her heart though, it was just too hard to accept that her husband and sun had died for any reason. They had been innocent, unaware of the terrible dangers of the world beyond a normal human’s perspective. Their deaths had been tragically needless. When the pressure of her emotions threatened to suffocate her, she fought to push them back, struggled to breath, and tried to think calmly. Focusing her attention pas her racing heartbeat, Kim opened the book and began to read.

The story spoke of a beautiful young Crane who’d saved her flock from the disastrous beings known as humans. Her flock was not an ordinary one – they were ancient and mystical beings who loved in the forest; the sensitive Griffin, the noble Lion, the mighty Ape, the cunning Bear, the sure Wolf, the courageous Frog, the protective Dragon, and the just Falcon. For many years they lived in harmony and peace, only fighting when the humans threatened the heart of the forest. And then came the day when the graceful Crane was captured by an enterprising hunter. 

The young man sent her off, bound in a cage, to lands far away from her home and family. The further from the forest she was taken, the weaker her magic, until she was completely helpless. Her wings had been unused for so long as she sat in the cage that she knew she’d never fly again. And then a gentle man with a caring heart found her, bought her from the traders, and took her home.

He let her out of the cramped cage she’d been forced to endure, knowing she was grounded. Over time, the pair slowly fell in love, and the young man eventually revealed that while he was a human sorcerer, his true form was that of a crane. The love that grew between them produced a small chick, one that was much loved by both. They lived together, peacefully and happily in the sorcerer’s mountain home. Until the war came.

Both sides wanted the sorcerer’s power, and to get it, they threatened the little family. Without warning, the once happy Crane watched as the armies cut down her beloved and their child, both in crane form, in an attempt to get the sorcerer’s attention. When the armies finally learned what they’d done, when they watched the sorcerer’s body revert from crane to man, they left for their next conquest, leaving behind the shattered heart of a crane who’d been ready to fly once more.

Tears coursing down her face, Kimberly closed the book with an audible snap. The story hit too close to home for her, way to close. It was yet another oddity in a string of occurrences she just wanted to forget. The doorbell sounded, causing her to jump. Taking a deep, steadying breath, Kim climbed out of bed, slipped her robe on, and went to answer her door. When she got downstairs, there was no one on her front porch. However, there was a package sitting on the top step. Furrowing her brow, she bent to take a closer look. Her name was on the front, and there was no return address. Intrigued, Kim picked up the box and took it inside. She never saw the figure standing at the end of the driveway, watching her intently.

Inside, she set the package on the island in her kitchen. It was wrapped in simple brown paper and scotch tape. Her name had been written on it in black marker. It looked innocent enough, but she knew looks could be deceiving. Quietly, she opened the package, gasping when she saw what was inside – a picture frame held a black and white photo of Chris with Evan on his shoulders. They’d been at the beach when she’d taken the photo. It was from the summer before they’d died.

The frame crashed to the tile floor, the glass splintering into shards at her feet. Her whole body shook; someone was messing with her and she wasn’t going to put up with it. She was done being helpless. Quickly and efficiently, and seething with a newfound rage, Kim cleaned up the shattered remains of the frame the same way she planned to clean up the shards of her life.

Once the unpleasant task was out of the way, she headed upstairs to dress and head into the dojo.

gok

10:30 A.M.  
Emerald Dawn Martial Arts Academy  
91495 Falcon Crest Ave  
Angel Grove, CA

Dressed in a form fitting black tank top and white gi pants, Kim stood at the back of Adam’s adult beginner’s class. Since Adam was teaching her during his free time for nothing, she’d signed up for the beginner’s class at her own expense. They were currently stretching, each mentally preparing for the class to come. It had been fun for her to discover the moves again, to have the regime of workouts and lessons again. Each time she rediscovered the ability to do something, it gave her more confidence.

Three classes in and she was starting to feel steady again. Her goal was to use the calming routine to give her life in Angel Grove a base. Besides, she needed to make more friends not just stick to the ones she’d had all her life.

“Okay class, today we have a guest teacher joining us,” Adam announced, drawing the class’ attention to the front of the room. “He’s a friend of mine, who also teaches some of our black belt classes during the summer.”

Kim’s back stiffened when she felt the charge in the air. A certain level of awareness opened up inside of her and then she knew. Turning her head, her eyes latched onto the tall, muscular form of one of her closest and dearest friends. He was dressed in black gi pants and a black tank top. Tied securely at his waist was a belt that signified one of his martial arts accomplishments – a sixth degree mastery of karate. She knew he had other belts in other disciplines, but this was his passion. Her eyes finally locked with his as he stopped midstride, the two of them sharing a slow, easy smile. For some odd reason, Kim felt both relaxed and tensed. Maybe it was the combination of knowing Tommy as well as she did and not wanting to disappoint him, again. She figured she’d done that enough to last a lifetime over the years.

Once Tommy began teaching the class, Adam began moving among the students. Kimberly’s attention was focused on her friend, the man she still considered her White Knight. He even still blushed at the nickname, whenever Jason teased him about it. Which reminded her that it was still amazing that for all the violence that had touched his life, Tommy had remained the same gentle soul as he had been in the beginning; perhaps a bit more wary of the world, but still gentle. His capacity to remain a caring, honorable man was something she was extremely proud of him for it.

“Tighten your form a bit,” Adam whispered in her ear, his hands molding her body. Kim’s eyes searched his face as he chuckled. “Pay attention to what he’s saying.”

The former Pink Ranger shot him a withering glare, but they both know she was only kidding. “I am.”

“No, you’re paying attention to other things, like always,” he teased.

“We aren’t in high school anymore,” she muttered, making Adam laugh out loud.

The whole class turned and watched them, with Tommy shaking his head at their antics. He couldn’t completely hear what they’d been saying, but he knew the looks on their faces well enough. “Don’t make me put you in detention Kim.”

Embarrassed, Kim’s cheeks went apple red. “I blame Adam,” she told Tommy, who was smirking at her.

“Alright, alright, let’s get back to business,” Tommy called the class back to order, though he, Adam and Kim continued to smile.

gok

12:00 P.M.

While everyone else was cleaning up to go home, Kim sat at the back of the room stretching by herself. Adam was getting ready to teach his next class, so Tommy was going to be handling her private lesson. She was a little apprehensive about that, but then reminded herself, it was only Tommy. She was safer with him than with almost anyone. “You looked good today,” the former Ranger leader grinned as he crouched next to her.

“Thank you,” she smiled up at him. “It sorta amazes me that all the things you guys taught me are coming back, and how fast they are.”

Tommy nodded. Both he and Adam had noticed her struggling to do the basic moves without adding the more intricate ones they’d taught her long ago. It warmed him to know despite the years, she still remembered the moves. “You’ll be taking a belt test before you know it,” he quipped. “Ready to get started?”

Kim noticed Adam’s next class coming in and nodded. “Back room?”

He grinned and nodded, holding out a hand to help her to her feet. After she gathered her things, she followed him out of the main room and into the back room Adam and Rocky had set up for her.

gok

2:15 P.M.

Sweat dribbled down her back between her shoulder blades and down the back of her neck. Her muscles sang from the abuse she was putting them through. She’d already had two separate workouts before lunch and now she was putting herself through yet another. Perched on the balance beam, arms completely straight, legs spread perpendicular to the rest of her body, she focused on the burning in her arms. Tommy and Adam were busy teaching a class in the other room; she could hear the students’ ki-yah’s echoing through the halls. She was aware of the figure leaning against the doorframe, but she gave no sign that she saw him. He had her utmost trust, and had ever since kindergarten when he’d beaten up Alex Stoley for breaking the head off her favorite Barbie doll.

“Doesn’t that hurt?” he finally called out. “I mean, you haven’t worked out on the beam since Evan was born.”

“Hence why my arms are shaking like fuck,” she uttered, causing him to chuckle. “What are you doing here?” she shot back, bringing her legs down and balancing her weight on them before she sat on the beam. “Don’t you have to work?”

“Finished early. Client liked the changes to the building design,” he grinned. “Figured you’d still be here when you didn’t answer your cell.”

“Beginners class and private lesson with Tommy,” she told him, watching his eyebrows shoot up.

“Really?”

Kim had no time to respond when they both heard the terrified screams. Jason spun and Kim dove off the bean, both running for the other room. Tommy was surrounded by Maligore-wannabes while Adam tried to protect his students, all kids, from stray attacks.

The former Red and Gold Ranger jumped right into the fight while Kim moved toward Tommy. The second she was beside him, the creatures stopped paying attention to the guys and started attacking her. Tommy and Jason did their best to help her, but the creatures kept pulling her away from them.

“KIM!” Tommy hollered in warning. He grinned when she went down in the splits and then thrust her fist up, nailing the creature between the legs. He felt a grim satisfaction when the thing hit its knees and collapsed.

“Tommy!” Kim’s voice cut through the chaos. He spun just in time to get nailed in the side, sending him to his knees. Jason and Kim reacted simultaneously, coming to his rescue. Both kicked out, each catching one of the creatures off guard. “That is ENOUGH!” Kim’s voice seemed to boom out. There were visible waves coming off her. The sound did more than any of their attacks. All of the creatures went down, leaving the ex Rangers and Adam’s students standing in shock.

“What the hell?” Jason muttered.

“Adam, get them out of here,” Kim ordered even as she moved to help Tommy to his feet. “You okay?”

“Caught me off guard,” he rasped, rubbing a hand gingerly over his ribs. “Nothing broken.”

“My apologies,” a new voice entered the conversation. All three turned sharply to see a figured dissolve out of nowhere.

Kim immediately stiffened. “YOU!” she hissed.

Tommy and Jason took up positions on either side of her just as Adam rushed through the door. He stepped up to Jason’s side, presenting a united front. “My lady,” the man whispered, eyes on Kimberly.

“Who are you and what do you want?” Jason demanded to know. One look and anyone could have understood he had his game face on.

“My name is Hayden, and I’ve come to ask the Lady for her help.”

“Help?” Kim incredulously asked. “You tried killing me and my friends and you want my help? Are you fucking nuts?”

The three males beside her grinned at the tone she used. It was the same one she use to use with Bulk and Skull when they were being dense, or Goldar said something incredibly stupid. “You’re being rude again,” Hayden seethed.

“Look, what do you want?” Tommy all but snarled.

“The falcon still has feelings for the crane, how romantic,” Hayden sarcastically gushed. His eyes narrowed when Kimberly reached out and wrapped her fingers around Tommy’s wrist. “The teacher, the protector and the lover. I should have know.”

Kim’s eyes widened. “What do you want from me?” she wearily asked.

“Your help,” he told her, his voice taking on a hypnotic quality. “I need your help ending this war, once and for all.”

“By taking her soul? By destroying everything she’s fought to protect with her very life?” Adam snapped. Jason, Tommy and Kim looked at him in shock.

Hayden’s eyes sizzled with power while his body glowed with it. “Tame your tongue, teacher.”

“I’m not going to stand by while you hurt her!” Adam argued, unafraid of pissing this guy off

Power shot out, slamming into Adam’s chest. Or it would have, if the former Ranger hadn’t started flowing black with a green tinge. Jason, Tommy and Kimberly felt their jaws drop. “Impossible!” Hayden gasped.

“I still have Ranger Powers,” Adam grinned. He hadn’t used them in two years, but he still had them. He wasn’t about to admit he’d reconnected to his spirit animal though, needed to keep some things a secret.

“You will pay for your interference teacher!” The group blinked as he winked away, leaving them alone.

“What is going on?” Jason demanded, turning to look at Adam like he’d lost his mind.

“Adam?” Kim turned wide eyes his way.

“Let’s get the kids out of here first, and then we’ll talk in my office,” he offered, already moving out of the room toward his students and their arriving parents.

gok

3:00 P.M.

They gathered in Adam’s office, each wearing worried expressions. Jason sat in a chair with Kim perched on the edge of Adam’s desk. Tommy paced back and forth, arms folded over his chest. Not one of them had uttered a single word after having entered the privacy of the room. Adam walked in and before they could say a word, he was holding a hand up to ward them off. He knew a flurry of angry questions were about to come his way, and he needed a minute to settled. Once he was sitting behind his desk, and had gotten his breath back, he started. “The night we moved Kim into her house, I had a weird dream. I was told it was my duty to train the Guardian, to make sure she was well informed and trained before she made her decision.”

“Does this have to do with Kallisto?” Adam’s eyes lifted to Jason’s, and the former Black and Green Ranger saw the barely restrained fury in the former Red and Gold Ranger’s face.

Adam nodded, choosing his words carefully. “Has to do with a lot of things; Hayden’s the guy from that first night, the one on the beach.

“He chased me down the night we went to L.A.,” Kim finally told them, her face blank.

“Why didn’t either of you tell us?”

Kim trembled under Tommy’s intense gaze. “I had a nightmare, I thought it was part of it, but he was at my party the next night…”

Adam said nothing, simply giving Tommy a look that said more than words could. “This is that something weird you were talking about that afternoon.” It wasn’t a question, it was Tommy remembering Adam’s mood that day.

“Adam, what the hell is going on?” Jason finally asked.

“Rain said Kim would have a choice to make, and that both sides were going to be hard on her before she made it,” he spoke, then turned his attention to Kim. “You’ve got to choose, Kim, between the light and the dark.”

“Why me?” Kim not only sounded small, she suddenly looked it too, more so than at any other time Adam had known her.

He held his hands up helplessly. “I don’t know. All I was told was that you were the Key, the Guardian.”

Tommy shook his head. “None of this makes sense,” he grumbled. “Why Kim? Why now?”

Adam leaned back in his chair and sighed. “Rain told me that Kim had already made her choice once, by choosing to be a Ranger. When she left the team, they figured she wasn’t the one they were looking for. I guess after Evan and Chris died, it tipped you back into indecision.” The look in Kimberly’s eyes told Adam she was thinking the same thing he had. “Rain said they weren’t killed because of this, sis. I flat out demanded to know that when we spoke. They died because of someone else’s carelessness, not because of some sick twist to get you to choose your destiny.”

“Who is Rain?” Jason asked. “And how can we trust him?”\

“He’s not a he, nor a she. Rain is a shape shifter, one who has no love for either side. The vibe I got though was if Rain had to choose, it’d be Kallisto. Rain was adamant that if Kim chose Hayden, Earth was going to fall.”

The three men looked to Kimberly, who sat shaking her head on Adam’s desk. “I don’t want this. I just want to be normal. I left behind weird when I got eaten by a monster with the munchies!” she cried out, her voice rising in pitch. Jason stood from his chair, reached out wrapping his arms around her and pulled her into a hug. One hand held her head against his shoulder while the other rubbed up and down her back in a light caress. He knew the signs of hysterical Kim; it didn’t happen often but when it did it was bad.

“He called us teacher, protector and lover,” Tommy quietly spoke, his eyes on Kim’s shaking form. “He got two out of three right.”

Adam and Jason shared a look but said nothing. Despite having had a husband and son who were the center of her universe, Kim still loved Tommy in a way she’d never love anyone else. There was just too much history between them for it to be otherwise. It was something they’d both been impressed by when it came to Chris; the man had not begrudge Kimberly her past, or the close relationships she held with the men she considered her friends and brothers. “Relax, baby girl,” Jason murmured. “I’ve got you, nothing’s going to hurt you.”

“Make it go away Jason!” she pitifully cried against his shoulder.

“Kimberly, snap out of it!” Tommy’s voice barked out the command.

The former Pink Ranger’s head reared up and her wide, startled eyes took him in. “Tommy…” Jason started.

“No! She’s got to stop running!” he heatedly responded.

“Is that what you think I’ve been doing?” Kim croaked.

“For the last ten minutes? Yes. You’re a Ranger…”

“No, I’m not! I haven’t been one since 1995!”

Tommy reached out and took her face in his hands, his thumbs caressing the tears from her cheeks. “At the heart of it all, yes, you are. You will always be a Ranger; the original Pink Ranger. No matter how long it’s been or how far you’ve gone, that will never change. We don’t run from danger, we run towards it, meeting it head on.”

The betrayal she’d felt melted at the faith and confidence that shone from his eyes. Tommy had always had the strongest belief in her, that she could do anything, be anyone. Of all her friends, he’d always been the one she’d let in the furthest; even Jason didn’t know half of what she feared, not like Tommy did. “I don’t want to do this, but I’ve got no choice, do I?” Turning, she looked steadily at Adam. “How long do I have?”

“I don’t know,” he honestly answered. “All I know was that I was to train you, and that others would be brought in on it at a later date.”

Tommy smiled. “Then we train her,” he grinned at Kim. “We make sure she’s ready for whatever’s to come.” The former Pink Ranger’s eyebrows shot up, she didn’t like the look on his face one bit.


	4. Time To Train

God Only Knows  
Chapter 3: Time To Train  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Started: April 21, 2010  
Finished: May 22, 2010

Summary: The hardest part of faith is the last hour. -- David Wilkerson  
Rating: M  
Characters: you’ll see

Author’s Note: Okay, so, this story is going to be a departure from some of the other stories I’ve done over the years, but in some ways, this story involves the one character I like to think I know best in the entire PR universe. This is not going to be a story returning the Rangers as we know them back to the way they were in the good ‘ol days. The Rangers in this story have lives, real lives, and they’re going through real, everyday experiences, and for one of those Rangers, it means discovering what she’s really made of. Life has not been kind, nor will it be in this story. What this is, above all else, is a journey of self discovery, of finding who you are and what you’re made of, and in the end, it’s learning that in each of us, there’s the power, no matter how vast or how small, to change the world.

Special Thanks: Shawn, thank you for listening to me plot and plan, and for giving me tips when you felt I needed it. Ang thanks for the enthusiasm and support. Enigma thank you so much for the constant faith in my work. Liz, my dear, thanks for being such a sweetheart! And last but not least, Rapunzl, thank you for the wonderful balance, the quiet strength, and the unwavering belief in me you give. You five don’t know how much I appreciate it all, or how much you’ve enriched my life simply by being who you are. As Shawn once said, thank you doesn’t seem enough. I love you works best 

Please Visit http : // www . valhallaboard . com / forum / (without the spaces) - this is the multi-fandom message board I co-run with the five people in my “Special Thanks” section.

gok

I feel so alone,  
Can't seem to find my out of this low?  
No, it don't seem right  
I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.

In this silent space,  
I close my eyes I can hear you say  
That it's alright,  
But my world's such an empty place tonight.  
Cause I know that,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I’ll hold on... God only knows.

As the time goes by,  
It gets a little easier to smile.  
I know I'll never forget  
Everything that you said.  
You said it's alright,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.

And the lights above you will never fade if you keep looking up  
Right around there is a better place if you believe in love.  
Cause I know that, it's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye, yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to, if I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on, the longest I'll hold on.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.  
God only knows.  
Ya, God only knows.  
God only knows.  
\-- Orianthi, God Only Knows --

gok

9:30 P.M.  
Saturday  
April 25, 2009  
Emerald Dawn Martial Arts Academy

All four of them were sweaty, exhausted, and mentally ready to stop. Classes had been taught, individual lessons had passed, and now they were all in the back room, weapons in hand. Adam had nunchucks, Jason was twirling the bo staff in his hands while Tommy expertly wielded the two katanas around his body. Kim stood on the mats, testing the weight of the sword in her hands. It was a wooden Kendo practice sword, as the guys knew she wasn’t ready to use a real one.

Tommy watched her warm up, taking practice swings to adjust her grip and the feel of the weapon. She didn’t look as unsure as she had a week before when he’d placed it in her hands, but he could tell she was still uncomfortable handling it. After all, she’d spent three years with bow and arrow, it was an adjustment to change weapons.

Her resolve to face this challenge drew such a deep pride and admiration from him. Kimberly, the vivacious girl he’d known, had always looked her fears head on and faced them. The woman she’d become had been crippled by devastating loss and amplified fear. She was slowly rebuilding her shattered world, but Tommy knew this new mission was going to push her to her limits, and beyond. She was going to rail against that push, but she’d do what needed to be done. Kimberly had never shirked her duty, now was no different.

“Ready?” Tommy called out to her, startling her briefly as she looked up at him.

“As I’ll ever be,” she muttered.

With a nod from the former Ranger leader, Adam launched his attack. Kim spun on her heel, swinging out with her sword to deflect Adam’s weapon. Clicking was heard with each strike of wood on wood. As Adam brought his legs up to kick her, Kim ducked low, striking out with her sword as she somersaulted away from where he was landing. Adam spun back around to face her and smiled. Kim knelt on one knee, the sword held tightly in her left hand, keeping it perpendicular to her body across her chest. She stared at him over her arm, eyes narrowed.

“Nice,” Jason grinned, then tossed Adam the bo staff. Adam smirked and began to twirl the staff, moving toward her as he did. His eyes focused on Kim, and waited for her to make a move. She charged him, slashing with the sword and found herself falling forward. Adam followed through by smacking her across the shoulders with the end. Kim let out a startled cry as she lost control of her sword and crashed face first into the mat. She groaned for a second before the guys realized her nose was bleeding.

“You okay?” Tommy asked, helping her up. He caught the towel Jason tossed and pressed it to her nose.

“Fine,” she mumbled around the towel.

“I think that’s enough for tonight,” Jason called out.

“No,” Kim gripped Tommy’s hand. “Is it bad?”

Tommy shook his head. “Give yourself a few minutes. Adam, ice pack?”

The Asian man nodded and headed out. He came back a moment later with a frozen blue ice pack and another towel. Tommy took them and pressed the wrapped object to Kim’s forehead. A few minutes later, when Kim pulled the towel form her nose and tested it with her fingers, she smiled. “We’re good.”

“Be careful,” the former White Ranger warned before getting off the mat.

“Wanna switch?” Adam asked, gesturing to the staff in his hand.

“Sure,” she grinned, tossing the sword and reaching for the staff. The guys watched her test the weight and her grip. Due to the staff being taller than her, Kim found it was awkward to handle.

“Try this one,” Jason told her a moment later, moving to hand her another staff. Kim grinned, realizing the one Jason gave her was almost a foot shorter, and surprise, surprise, it was pink and silver. It was also lighter, lending itself to an easier motion in her arms.

“Perfect,” she giggled, spinning it easily around her body.

Adam stepped up, sword in hand. “Ready?”

Kim nodded and the two began. Adam found she was a quicker study with the staff, using it’s length to her advantage. He could never get quite close enough to strike her before she’d smack him with one of the ends. Letting out a triumphant cry, Kim swung low, knocking Adam off his feet. The staff was extended behind her, her left hand gripping it when she completed the swing. Jason and Tommy let out identical yelps when Kim’s body vaguely started glowing white. Before any of them could utter a single word, a gentle breeze seemed to flow across the room, originating from the petite brunette. Jason reached Kimberly first while Tommy moved to help Adam to his feet. “Kim?” Jason quietly murmured his voice barely audible. He didn’t dare touch her, his days as a Ranger having taught him better.

She cocked her head to the right, as if listening to him. Her eyes were glowing white, the pupils completely gone. Jason felt the power coil inside her as if readying to strike. “Control, Guardian,” an unfamiliar voice ordered.

Cautiously, Jason turned his head to the door and let his eyes widen. The figure was half man, half woman. It took him a few seconds to realize who it was. “Rain,” Adam greeted.

“You look well, Teacher, despite the thorough trouncing you just received,” Rain grinned. Without invitation, Rain walked into the room and moved toward Kimberly. In the process, the female portion seemed to melt away. Rain motioned for Jason to move back. “Protector, I will not harm her, you have my word. My respect for Zordon’s chosen runs deep.”

Tommy and Adam both put a hand on Jason’s shoulder, drawing him back. “I’m fully prepared to believe anything you say now,” Jason muttered to Adam, receiving a smile from the former black and green Ranger.

“Peace, Guardian,” Rain murmured to Kim, his hands in front of him, palms facing the former Ranger in a show of peace. His smile was slow as the whirling glow of white slowly subsided from her eyes, the normal doe brown returning.

“Who are you?”

“They call me Rain,” he murmured, bowing before her. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Kim looked dazed, her eyes widening when he took in her body’s position. “What’s….going on?” Stiffly, she stood, dropping the staff at her feet as she did so. “Guys?”

Cautiously, the three neared her. Tommy was the first to her side; reaching out, he ran a hand up and down her back in a gesture meant to soothe and reassure. Kim seemed to instinctively lean closer to him, away from Rain.

“Why are you here?” Adam finally demanded to know.

Rain’s face betrayed none of the turmoil he was feeling. “I’m afraid things have changed on the other side. The balance is shredding, fast.”

“Balance?”

The man before them looked incredibly frustrated. “In every generation, there is a guardian,” he began his tale, hoping to explain to Kimberly what was happening to her life. “The forces of good and evil have been waging a war since time began. They’ve fought for one thing, and one thing only – the key to letting them get the upper hand, the one who will shatter the balance. This key is known as the Guardian.”

Kim stiffened, unconsciously shrinking back toward Tommy even more. “Me?”

Rain nodded. “The one you knew as Rita was once the Guardian, and she held vast amounts of power. She was seduced by Hayden to the dark, and lost much of what she held dear as a consequence.”

The four cringed, realizing how the Mystic Mother Xander spoke of had come to be. “If there’s one every generation, why are you bothering with me? Surely another one has been born by now.”

“I’m afraid you’re wrong,” Rain sighed, shaking his head. “Never before has a Guardian had an active link to the Morphin’ Grid, nor has any ever come from Earth. And for some reason, we’ve not yet found the Guardian who’s to come after you.”

While Kim trembled, the guys closed ranks around her. Rain’s face was grim. What he was about to tell her was going to shake the foundation of what she knew. “There were rumors several centuries ago that a key would be found on Earth. After defeating Zedd during one of their wars, Zordon came here in search of the key. When he didn’t find it, he stayed, hoping to enjoy the peace he found here. He knew, however, that Rita’s dumpster had landed on your moon, so it gave him another mission – guard the dumpster and call on new Rangers if she ever broke free.”

“And she did,” Tommy hissed angrily. The four Rangers knew all too well what had happened once she’d gotten free.

Rain nodded, already knowing where their thoughts were. “Right after you became a Ranger, Thomas, Zordon found the key. When Zedd came, Zordon did all he could to protect Kimberly.”

“He made my choice for me?” Kim’s question was strangled by the sob working its way up from her chest. They had all had virtually no choice in being Rangers; Zordon had guilt tripped them into it.

“No. At any time, you could have left the Rangers; at any time, you could have joined Zedd. Didn’t he try and persuade you to be his queen?”

“But Zordon never told me!” Kim argued back, anger rising.

Choosing his words carefully, Rain took a deep breath. “No, he didn’t. He made the mistake of not properly preparing you because he became emotionally attached to you,” he told her, watching her eyes fill. “After Zedd and Rita stripped you of your powers, Zedd assumed he’d been mistaken. Zordon knew better. As long as he lived, you were protected.”

Kimberly felt a sickening sense of dread start to fill her. Maligore and Dark Spector had to have known… “Why did he really leave Earth?”

Rain shrugged but Kim’s steady gaze made him squirm. “As I said, a long as he lived, it was assumed you’d be safe. Added, you were no longer a Ranger…”

“Did he draw Dark Spector’s attention away from here, away from Kim?” Jason demanded.

“Yes.”

The Rangers who’d once served under Zordon had always borne the guilt of having not been able to save him. Now Kim would bear more of that guilt than the others, knowing he’d died to protect her. A different form of grief settled over the former Pink Ranger’s heart. She felt weak under the weight of it; yet another person she’d loved had been lost, only in a different way than originally thought.

“As to why I’m ‘bothering’ with you, you alone hold the power of the Morphin’ Grid. Which ever side obtains that will be unstoppable.”

gok

The room around him was pitch black, save for the red glowing pool that allowed him to view the happenings of this world and it’s Key. His lips peeled back in a horrible snarl as the five figures in the pool drew his anger. The lone female among them seemed to shrink back into the safety of her friends. It was pitiful knowing she held the power to destroy world. This weak, pathetic human female was the ancient, prophesied key.

It was laughable.

In his anger, a blood red lightning bolt shot out of his fingers. Zedd’s idiotic and pathetic attempts had tried his patience for far too long. Hinting for Dark Spector to capture Zordon had been genius; kill two birds with one stone – Zedd and Zordon, dead and gone – leaving the key for the taking. The added bonus was that one of Zordon’s own had been responsible for his death; poetic justice in his opinion. The image of the former Black and Green Ranger enraged him even further. The idiot human wasn’t supposed to have power anymore; they were all supposed to be powerless! It was a minor complication, an irritation really. With access to Ranger powers, the Teacher had an unexpected link to the Guardian. He knew he’d have to be careful that the former Rangers didn’t realize they could use it in their favor.

gok

11:30 A.M.  
Monday  
April 27, 2009  
Parker, Parker, Grimes and Associates

“Kimberly?” Elise called through the intercom.

Leaning over, Kim picked up the phone and in a harried voice, asked, “Yes?”

“I know you just got here, but Viv, Stefano and Sere are busy or out of the office and the other associates have clients. We’ve got a potential client sitting in reception. They’d like a consult.”

Kim blew out a breath, trying to get her frustration to go away; she already had more on her plate than she was prepared to take yet. “Give me ten minutes to clean up my office. Family or Business?”

“Business, I think. He really hasn’t said.”

“Ten minutes.”

“Gotcha.”

Hanging up the phone, Kim headed down the hall for a quick bathroom break and back to her office to clean up her desk. She was working on three legal briefs for cases Serenity had taken on, she had a consult coming at noon and she still need to brush up on a few details pertaining to a case Stefano wanted her to sit in on. She had a minute to spare before Elise brought the potential client back to her office. Her heart froze and iced over when she saw who it was.

Hayden.

“Thank you,” Kim told the secretary, hoping to get her out of the line of fire quickly. Once the door was firmly shut, she glared at the man. “Why are you bothering me?”

“How rude you humans are,” he uttered. “I’m beginning to think you don’t like me, my lady.”

“Perceptive, because I don’t like you.”

“But you like Kallisto?” he lazily asked, leaning forward to take the picture frame off her desk. It was a snapshot of her, Chris and Evan from the Christmas just days before they died. “Your family is gorgeous and so precious.”

“They were.”

“It’s a shame they’re dead. Your perfect life – destroyed by one careless, selfish act.”

Kimberly’s body trembled; not with fear, but with white hot, blistering rage. She’d be damned if she let this creep ruin the memory of her husband and son. “Leave them out of this!” she hissed angrily.

“What if I told you I could bring them back? Make life like it was, before the accident.”

Her rage drained out of her so swiftly it left her swaying. Pressing a hand to her desk to steady herself, Kimberly stared at him. “Excuse me?”

“What would you do if I told you I could bring them back? I have the power to undo the one incident that changed your life.”

“Why?”

He smiled charmingly. “I like you, Kimberly. Genuinely like you. You’re beautiful, talented, courageous, and you’ve got a healthy temper. I respect that, and what you’ve made of your life since leaving the Rangers.”

Her heart throbbed painfully in her chest. He was giving her the chance to have her family back. He could undo the damage; give her back her baby and her partner. All the horrible moments could be undone. Kimberly the wife and mother trembled at the idea; Kimberly the former Ranger narrowed her eyes. “What’s the catch.”

“So suspicious.”

“You bet, so sue me. What’s the catch?”

“If I give you back your family, I want you to help me end this war.”

Kimberly licked her lips. “How am I to know you’re telling me the truth?”

He grinned and winked. “Intelligent. A show of faith? When you get home today, you’ll see I was telling you the truth.” With that, Kim watched him get up and leave, her heart hammering painfully in her chest.

gok

6:00 P.M.  
Kim’s House

When she pulled into the driveway, her anxiety level was almost through the roof. Nothing about the house looked different – it was just the way she’d left it that morning. Taking a deep breath, she grabbed her briefcase and jacket and headed inside. Nothing seemed out of place in the foyer, until she went to kick off her pumps and saw the two sets of tennis shoes on the rug – one a size thirteen men’s and the other a size four in boy’s. She dropped her jacket and briefcase on the floor and wildly looked down the hall toward the kitchen and up the staircase. And then she heard the giggling.

Fists clenched, she moved as quietly as possible toward the kitchen. Her heart soared at the sight she was greeted by. He stood at the stove, stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce. He was wearing a pair of ancient Levi’s and a blue dress shirt. His arm was around the little body perched on a dining room chair, hand over the smaller one as they stirred. Her eyes welled at the sight.

“Mommy’s going to be so surprised that you made her dinner,” his warm baritone told their little boy.

“Yay!” the little boy lifted his voice. “I like surprising Mommy!”

She couldn’t find her voice. She felt all the moments, the bad ones, slip away like a bad dream. It felt like she was waking up to a dream come true. Her eyes filled as she watched Chris help Evan off the chair, the two turning and letting out shocked yelps when they saw her. “Mommy!”

“Sweetheart,” Chris grinned.

Kimberly caught Evan in her arms, crushing him to her chest while he babbled about dinner. She knew her eyes were wild, and knew Chris saw it too. Without even having to ask, she felt him wrap her arms around them both. “Evan, go upstairs and wash up for dinner,” Chris urged. She knew he was trying to talk to her without Evan seeing her break down.

“’Kay!” Evan shouted, wiggling out of her arms and racing up the stairs.

Chris reached out and tugged her into his arms, tucking her head under his chin. “What’s wrong?” he quietly asked, stroking his hands over her back. “You have a bad day?”

Pressing her lips together, Kim shook her head. Reaching up, she wrapped her arms around his neck and held on. It felt so surreal, having him hold her again. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and hang on. “Kimberly, sweetheart?”

“I’m okay, it’s just been a really long day,” she explained, taking a deep breath before she stepped back. “So, spaghetti?”

“Evan’s idea, he wanted to surprise you,” he grinned, leaning forward to kiss her softly on the lips. “Hungry?”

“Starving. Let me go change, then let’s eat,” she smiled before pulling away from him to head upstairs.

An hour later, with the food put away and dishes done, the two of them stood in the doorway leading to the back deck. Evan was racing around the yard, despite having eaten far more at dinner than normal, chattering about building a tree house and wanting to go swimming. Leaning against the door jamb, Kim smiled at his antics, nodding when he called out to her to watch him. “How one kid can have so much energy is beyond me,” Chris chuckled, sliding his arms around her waist, his chin resting on top of her head.

“I wish I could bottle some of it to use later,” Kim laughed, leaning back against his chest. She felt so warm and secure, like nothing bad could ever happen.

Silence settled between them, until Chris’ lips nuzzled her ear. “I’ve been thinking,” he started, his breath hotly caressing her skin.

“About?” she sighed softly.

“Well, Evan’s almost six, as you pointed out not long ago,” he breathed. “We’re doing fairly well with our finances…”

“Chris?” she choked, eyes wide as she turned to stare at him. “Are you saying…”

“Are you ready for another one?” he teased, rubbing his nose against hers as her eyes welled. The smile that lit her face was more spectacular than any he’d ever seen. Leaning forward, he let his lips caress hers gently but with growing passion. He pulled back a little, smirking like mad when she moaned her displeasure at him leaving her hanging. “I really want a little girl this time, one who looks just like you.”

She let out a peel of laughter, wrapping her arms around his waist and holding on. “I just want a healthy baby,” she told him. Her eyes narrowed at the impish look that crossed his face. “What?”

“Think of all the fun we’re going to have,” he whispered erotically.

Closing her eyes, Kim laughed and kissed him soundly. Her world felt stable and sound again, as if everything else was just a bad, bad dream.

gok

4:45 A.M.  
Tuesday  
April 28, 2009

Shivering, Kimberly tugged the blankets up to her chin and blinked weary eyes. The alarm’s red digits read a quarter to five, making her groan. She wanted to snuggle back into bed, to have Chris wrap his arms around her, and block out the rest of the world. With a sigh, she reached behind her to grab his arm and found nothing but empty space. Confused, she pushed the covers off and sat up, looking over at his side of the bed. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the covers precisely made, as if no one had slept on that side of the bed the night before. Chris never made the bed like that, at least not until they were both out of it. And besides, he should still be passed out; they’d been up late last night, getting started on making that second baby they wanted so badly.

Shaking her head, she crawled out of bed, grabbed her robe and headed out into the hallway. Quietly, she hurried to Evan’s room, peeking inside. Where last night there had been bunk beds, a desk, and toys galore, now there was her home office – her desk littered with papers, her computer, pictures of her friends and family. One wall contained the bookcase that doubled as a showcase of all her medals, degrees, and other awards. Stifling a sob, she turned and fled down the stairs.

She searched every room, nook and cranny of the house, but instead of finding all the little mementos and articles belonging to her husband and son, all she found were her own things, sitting where her friends had unpacked them. Her breath came in shallow gasps as her chest tightened and her voice caught. Yesterday had been so real, they’d been there, as if nothing bad had ever happened. Her hope and faith was once again shattered; it had all been make believe. They weren’t alive, they weren’t in the house with her, they weren’t coming home. The guttural sobs that exploded from her throat surprised her in their intensity. Shaking her head to try and ward off the stinging tears that welled in her eyes, she thundered up the stairs in search of her cell phone. She found it on the bedside table, snatching it up as she went to sit on the floor in the corner by the window. Fumbling it open through the veil of her tears, she punched the speed dial button. It didn’t matter that she was probably calling him before he’d even be up, it didn’t matter that it was a school day and that he had classes, she needed him.

“Whoever this is better be dead or dying,” the voice on the other end growled when the ringing stopped.

“T-t-tommy!” she cried out, rocking back and forth in the corner.

“Kim?” he chirped, obviously alerted by the tone of her voice and her crying. “What’s wrong?”

“I need you!”

gok

8:00 A.M.

“Bro, are you sure you don’t need me?” Jason’s voice came through the speaker of Tommy’s cell phone. The former White Ranger was stretched out on Kimberly’s couch with her tucked in his arms, finally sound asleep. When she’d called three hours before, it had nearly given him a heart attack, but he hadn’t thought twice about calling in to school and taking a personal day so he could be with her. It had taken him nearly an hour and a half to get from Reefside to Angel Grove, and when he’d gotten to the house, he found a nearly catatonic Kimberly waiting for him. One look at her grief stricken face and he’d merely shut the door, scooped her up and taken her to the living room. She still hadn’t told him what happened, but he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it one bit.

“Positive. She’s sound asleep right now, and I’m probably going to conk out and catch a few myself. Once I get the full story out of her, we’ll go from there,” Tommy reassured his oldest friend. “Whatever happened, it had to have been a lot, she’s never sounded like that before, not even at the funeral.”

Tommy could hear Jason blow out a tension-filled breath. “Alright. I’ll be at the office until about noon, then I have an on-site in Burbank, so I’ll be heading that way. If you need me, call my cell. If I don’t answer…”

“I’ll leave a message with Anna to have you call me. I know the drill. Relax, Adam’s only a half hour away at most, if something happens, we’ve got back up.”

“Alright. Catch ya later.”

Reaching over, Tommy grabbed his phone and closed it, effectively ending the phone call. He looked down at Kimberly’s face and noticed that the tension and worry lines were still marring her brow. She may have not moved since she passed out in his arms, but she was doing anything but sleeping peacefully. Shaking his head, Tommy did the only thing he could do – he held her. Leaning down, he gently kissed her forehead and then reached up, smoothing his thumb between her eyebrows. He smiled slightly when her face relaxed and she nuzzled close to him. “It’s going to be okay, Beautiful, I’m right here,” he whispered, hugging her close as his own eyelids grew heavier and heavier. The stress of the morning finally caught up with him and he drifted off to sleep.

gok

9:30 A.M.

She was warm, as if she was cocooned in a safe, quiet place. Blinking her eyes rapidly, she saw that she was staring at the television screen, the morning sun coming in from the hallway. She knew almost instantly she was lying on a hard, muscular chest, and then everything came rushing back. The night before, waking up that morning, her frantic call to Tommy, him coming all the way from Reefside to be with her, him scooping her up and carrying her to the couch – it all came back in a huge wave of emotion. She remembered crying in his arms, not able to express why she’d made the call that morning to him. Obviously, he’d known she’d needed him, one way or another.

Working up her courage, she gently shifted, looking up at him. His face was composed in sleep – mouth slightly open as he breathed, thick lashes lying against his skin, hiding his beloved chocolate eyes. His jaw was as strong and defined as ever, roughened by the shadow of his beard, which he’d not taken care of that morning. It was a face she knew so well, one she often wondered if she knew better than her own. He’d been one of her best friends for over half her life now; he’d seen her through some of her worst and best moments, and always, he’d been by her side, supporting whatever decisions she’d made in life. And he’d never hesitated to be there for her when she called. It was a reminder, yet again, at how lucky she’d been to have been loved by not only Chris, but by this extraordinary man currently holding her. Just like the love she’d been given from her husband, the love she’d received from Tommy, both in friendship and romance, had fed her soul and given her wings to fly.

She knew it was the reason she’d called him this morning, the reason his number had been the first she’d dialed; she knew she was safe with him, she knew that she could tell him the hurts and he’d try and fix them, that she could give him her thoughts without fear of him taking advantage of them or brushing them off as the wanderings of an overactive imagination. There were just some things she couldn’t and wouldn’t share with Aisha, or Jason for that matter. While she loved them both deeply, there was a unique bond between her and Tommy that had transcended everything they’d been through, and all that they’d done to each other. Forged in the heat of battle, tempered by friendship, deepened by love and strengthened by time, it was one of the things she cherished most in the world, one of the few constants she had. And after the horrible nightmare of the last two days, her mind and heart had been one when they’d made the decision to tell him first, to ask him for his help. He’d understand, just like he always had.

“Hey,” a husky voice greeted, drawing her from her thoughts. Tilting her head back a little more, chocolate met doe brown. “Feeling better?”

She couldn’t speak, so she merely nodded. Taking a deep breath, she laid her head on his shoulder and just stared straight ahead. She was struggling how to word what she needed to tell him. Part of her told her she should probably get up, let Tommy up from his position on the couch, because she didn’t belong in his arms after all, but she felt too content, too peaceful and loved to move. For once, she was going to indulge herself and remain exactly where she was. “Kim?”

“Give me a few minutes,” she whispered, rubbing her cheek against his chest. There was a tiny voice inside her head screaming at her for betraying Chris and his memory by lying like this with Tommy, but she pushed it away. While their position smacked of something deeper than friendship, she knew it wasn’t true. They were friends, as they’d always been and always would be. She was still mourning her family, and after last night, that grief was even fresher than before.

“Take your time, Beautiful, I’m not going anywhere,” he murmured, rubbing a hand down the back of her head and down her back before coming back up to wrap around her body, holding her close.

Wetting her lips, she sucked in a deep breath and started. “I had a visitor yesterday, at the office.”

“Who?”

“Hayden,” she responded, feeling him stiffen underneath her. She bit back the smile that wanted out when he cursed underneath his breath and drew her closer. “He asked me to help him end the war.”

“And what did he say when you told him no?” Tommy all but demanded.

“I didn’t exactly tell him no,” she told him. She knew she couldn’t look up into Tommy’s eyes, because his body signals were giving his shock and horror away clear as day. “He told me, if I helped him, that he’d give me the one thing I want most.”

“And what is that?” he asked, though he already knew.

“He said he’d give me back Chris and Evan.”

Tommy’s eyes closed as his breath whooshed out of his chest. Tightening his arms around her, he fought to keep his voice even. “Kimberly, you know he can’t do that; they’re gone, Beautiful, nothing can bring them back.”

“But he did!” her voice cracked on a sob. “He said it was a show of faith, that he’d give me a taste of what I wanted! When I got home from work last night, they were here!” she cried. Tommy’s arms were practically vice grips on her body, holding her so hard she almost thought she’d break. “They were here, making dinner. We had spaghetti, and then Chris and I watched Evan play in the backyard, just like we used to back in Miami!”

Making reassuring sounds, Tommy cradled her head against his chest and kissed the top of it. “It’s okay,” he told her.

“Before the accident happened, we’d started discussing maybe having another baby,” she hurried on. “Things were going so well, but Chris was worried we were putting in too many hours at work and Evan wasn’t getting enough attention as it was, so we put it off. Last night, when he was here, he told me he wanted to start trying!” she couldn’t go any further in her explanation as she was now full force crying. It had broken her heart all over again this morning to find that yesterday afternoon and the long, romantic night that had followed was nothing but a dream.

“Oh Kim,” Tommy whispered, rocking her gently. “I’m so sorry.”

“I woke up this morning, cold, wanting to cuddle. When I reached for him, he wasn’t there. I panicked, and got up to go see if he was in Evan’s room. All I found were my things; Evan’s room was my office again, none of their things were down here or in the kitchen. I lost it. I barely remember going upstairs to call you.”

Tommy said nothing, found he could say nothing, to soothe the grief she was experiencing, the ache that was hollowing out her heart. He’d been unable, for all his vaunted skills, to stop her suffering a year before; it seemed he was as helpless now as he’d been then. His years as a Ranger, as a leader, as a teacher, as a warrior, they all felt as if they were for naught as he continued to hold this woman who was a beloved friend and the object of his teenage desires as she fell apart over the loss of husband and child. Again. He didn’t know what to say to her, didn’t know if he should ask her the things he wanted answers to, so he remained silent, and let her cry out her heartache.

And he was afraid; afraid that whatever Hayden was offering her would be more temptation than she’d be able to handle, that having her husband and her child back would be more important than saving the world. Tommy had no doubt that Hayden would do and say anything to her to get her to help him and then he’d double cross her in the end – she wind up losing her family and betraying her planet and her legacy.

“Kimberly…”

“What?”

“Are you thinking of joining him?” Tommy choked on the words even as he said them. Closing his eyes, the Falcon within cried so shrilly he thought his eardrums would burst. A betrayal of that kind from her of all people…he’d never survive it.

“I don’t know.” For the first time in a long, long time, the former Ranger leader felt his heart simply shatter.


	5. So It Begins

God Only Knows  
Chapter 4: So It Begins  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Started: May 28, 2010  
Finished: July 29, 2010

Summary: The hardest part of faith is the last hour. -- David Wilkerson  
Rating: M  
Characters: Kim, Adam, Tommy, Jason

Author’s Note: Okay, so, this story is going to be a departure from some of the other stories I’ve done over the years, but in some ways, this story involves the one character I like to think I know best in the entire PR universe. This is not going to be a story returning the Rangers as we know them back to the way they were in the good ‘ol days. The Rangers in this story have lives, real lives, and they’re going through real, everyday experiences and for one of those Rangers, it means discovering what she’s really made of. Life has not been kind, nor will it be in this story. What this is, above all else, is a journey of self discovery, of finding who you are and what you’re made of, and in the end, it’s learning that in each of us, there’s the power, no matter how vast or how small, to change the world.

Special Thanks: Shawn, thank you for listening to me plot and plan, and for giving me tips when you felt I needed it. Ang thanks for the enthusiasm and support. Enigma thank you so much for the constant faith in my work. Liz, my dear, thanks for being such a sweetheart! And last but not least, Rapunzl, thank you for the wonderful balance, the quiet strength, and the unwavering belief in me you give. You five don’t know how much I appreciate it all, or how much you’ve enriched my life simply by being who you are. As Shawn once said, thank you doesn’t seem enough. I love you works best 

Please Visit http : // www . valhallaboard . com / forum / (without the spaces) - this is the multi-fandom message board I co-run with the five people in my “Special Thanks” section.

gok

I feel so alone,  
Can't seem to find my out of this low?  
No, it don't seem right  
I didn't have a chance to say goodbye. 

In this silent space,  
I close my eyes I can hear you say  
That it's alright,  
But my world's such an empty place tonight.  
Cause I know that,  
It's all part of life. 

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I’ll hold on... God only knows. 

As the time goes by,  
It gets a little easier to smile.  
I know I'll never forget  
Everything that you said.  
You said it's alright,  
It's all part of life. 

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows. 

And the lights above you will never fade if you keep looking up  
Right around there is a better place if you believe in love.  
Cause I know that, it's all part of life. 

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye, yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to, if I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on, the longest I'll hold on.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.  
God only knows.  
Ya, God only knows.  
God only knows.  
~@~ Orianthi, God Only Knows ~@~

gok

7:30 A.M.  
Sunday  
May 3, 2009  
Emerald Dawn Martial Arts Academy

Yawning, his hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee, Adam watched one of his long time friends assault the punching bag set up in the corner of the main room of his school. For much of the last hour, the former Ranger leader had ignored everything around him. Adam knew with the clarity of years of friendship that the former multi-colored hero was pissed beyond belief about the incident with Kimberly earlier in the week. He himself was reeling over what had apparently transpired.

The trio of former Ranger men all felt angry and disappointed, but mostly, they were incredibly scared. While it was Adam’s sixth sense to trust Rain, he couldn’t help but acknowledge that Hayden hadn’t really tried to hurt Kim, nor had he stated his true intentions. They assumed, thanks to Rain, that he was out to destroy their world and possess the powers that Kimberly supposedly guarded. But something inside Adam screamed Rain was right; of the three, only Rain had expressed respect for Zordon and his legacy.

He knew Tommy was having a hard time dealing with Kim’s indecision. In his mind, Adam knew, the choice was clear cut, but for their petite friend, it was anything but. Hayden was offering her what her heart desired most – her son and husband to be alive, again. Adam knew Tommy’s fear was that Kimberly would put aside the logic and experience of what her Ranger days had taught her and embrace whatever Hayden offered.

“You look troubled, teacher,” a slick, hissing voice pointed out.

The mug in Adam’s hands shattered when it hit the concrete floor. He spun to his left, hands immediately going into a defensive pose. “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t kill you where you stand?”

Adam’s eyes narrowed as he watched Tommy threaten Hayden as the former Ranger invaded Hayden’s personal space. “I highly doubt Kimberly would be pleased with you,” the being taunted Tommy.

“Leave. Her. ALONE.”

Hayden laughed. “Like you have for the last fourteen years? Let her lose any hope of a normal life? She knows what I can offer her, and she knows how to get it from me.”

Adam’s throat closed on him, his emotions running rampant. Hayden made Kimberly sound like a whore for wanting her family back. Before either he or Tommy could move, Hayden’s power sent Tommy flying across the room and straight through the plate glass window at the front of the school. “TOMMY!” Adam’s distressed voice shouted.

“Now, deliver my message to the protector, as well as stay out of my way, or you will all die!” Hayden promised before he vanished in a swirl of red and black smoke, leaving Adam reeling.

gok

8:00 A.M.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Jason watched Aisha and Kim tend to Tommy’s wounds while Tanya, Kat and T.J. proceeded to rip him and Adam new assholes for not telling them. “Adam, how could you?” Tanya accused.

“I have no choice,” the former Black Ranger told his wife, imploring her to understand. Jason just shook his head, knowing to fight with a female Ranger was not the smartest thing to do when she was pissed off.

“I don’t mean protecting Kim, cause in your place, I would have too. I mean not telling me! She matters to me too!” Tanya blasted him angrily.

Jason felt his stance toward Tanya’s anger soften. She may not have served with Kim, may have met Kim during one of the worst episodes of Kim’s life, but Tanya cared about Kimberly as if she’d served beside her; they were family. “We really didn’t know what we were up against until recently,” he supplied.

“And from here on out, all three of you will no longer be involved.”

Kim’s words drew protests from her friends, particularly Adam, Jason and Tommy. “No.” Jason’s one word would have brooked no argument from anyone else. It only seemed to piss Kimberly off more.

“Jason, think rationally. You can’t help me without endangering your family, or yourself. I won’t be responsible for anyone getting hurt.”

“Out of the question,” Tommy’s stern voice silenced them all. “Whether you like it or not, Adam, Jason and I are linked to you and the outcome of this whole mission.”

Kim rounded on him, prepared to argue, but one look at the bandages all over his arms stopped her. The sight of them hammered home how close she came to losing him, and how much she knew she couldn’t bear the thought of him not being there. The emotions raging through her were so huge and so strong she had to literally shove them down, so she could focus on the moment. She’d examine them later.

“I’ll be damned if we lose you,” he gruffly told her. Kimberly stared straight into the chocolate gaze and felt her insides quiver. Her friends were all nodding in agreement; they weren’t going to let her go through this alone.

“None but the teacher, protector and lover can be involved with your mission.”

All seven former Rangers swung toward the door to Adam’s office. Rain stood in the doorway, looking anything but pleased. “Rain,” Adam greeted.

“Hayden should not have harmed you, Dr. Oliver; should not have been able to hurt you. Are you well?”

“Bumps and bruises,” Tommy brushed off his inquiries.

Kim’s expression was one of agony as she looked at Rain. She may not have completely trusted him, but she understood his intentions were much purer than either Hayden or Kallisto. “Protect them for me,” she begged, tears welling in her eyes.

“I cannot,” he answered, watching the tears be replaced by anger on her face. This woman, he knew, would protect those she loved at all costs. It would serve her well in the battle to come. “But they can protect themselves.”

“How?” Kim angrily demanded, her voice trembling, giving away just how scared she truly was.

Rain walked to her, taking both hands in his. “As you have powers you are discovering, so I have been granted permission for them to share with you those powers. Those who have to remove themselves from the situation have given me the ability to help you, if in limited terms.”

“What’s happening on the other side, Rain?” Adam demanded.

Turning his eyes to Adam, Rain sighed. “Utter chaos. What I feared most has happened. Kimberly was only ever supposed to make a choice, but now, she will have to fight for the side she chooses. She will need the three of you now, more than ever.”

gok

2:00 P.M.  
Kim’s House  
1993 Canyon Grove Rd.  
Angel Grove, CA

She stood in the doorway to the deck, watching Tommy walk along the shoreline of her beach. He was dressed in jeans and a black tank, feet bare, skipping rocks on the water. Just from the set of his shoulders, Kim knew he was still angry with her. He hadn’t come out and said it but she knew. She also knew he was disappointed that she’d considered Hayden’s offer. She’d spent hours in the last week soul searching because she was confused. Part of her really wanted to accept Hayden’s offer. To have her family again was a dream come true. But Hayden’s gift was hollow to her now. He’d messed with Tommy, damn near killing him.

Wrong mistake to make.

It had been one thing when he was toying with her, but she wasn’t about to put up with any messing with Tommy, Jason and Adam. It would have been the same if it had been any of her friends, so he’d sorely miscalculated his hold over her.

With a sigh, she pushed away from the door and walked down to where Tommy was standing. Despite his feelings, Kim slipped her arms around his waist from the side and burrowed under his arm. He tightened that arm around her, making her close her eyes in pleasure and security. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.

“I’m not angry, just disappointed.”

She trembled at his words. If there was one thing she never wanted to do again was disappoint him. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but siding with Hayden isn’t my choice. Messing with me is one thing, trying to hurt you or the others is something else all together.” It made the grip of fear on her heart loosen when he seemed to relax.

“I can’t begrudge you wanting them back, Kimberly; none of us can, or would. It’s just…they died by horrible means, don’t get me wrong, but it was a human death. They weren’t killed by magic, or to get to you. He says he can bring them back, and maybe he can, but can just as easily take them away, or worse, he could make them something they aren’t,” he explained in a rush, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. She realized he’d thought a lot of the same things she had over the course of the last few days.

“I know,” she choked out before she took a deep breath, Tommy’s cologne filling her senses. “I’m so confused. Everything we thought we knew about the war, about Zordon and Zedd, about why we became Rangers, its skewed now.”

Tommy could only nod in agreement. He too was having a tough time swallowing the fact that Zordon had blatantly lied to them. Everything they thought they’d been fighting for wasn’t as it seemed, and it was a bitter pill to swallow for those who had taken the honorable route and fought for the safety of others.

Drawing in a long, deep breath before letting it out slowly, Tommy turned toward Kimberly, drawing her into a hug. Her arms were shaking slightly when she wound them around his waist. As they stood there together, Tommy kissed the top of her head and stared over her shoulder, his eyes narrowing. In the distance, he saw a dark figure watching them before it seemingly disappeared. They were being watched.

gok

8:45 A.M.  
Monday  
May 4, 2009  
Prescott Architecture and Engineering  
The Vanburen Building  
1974 Russet Leaf Terrace  
Angel Grove, CA

He hated wearing suits. Hated it with a passion. It felt restricting to be dressed up, against the grain for him not to be able to move with freedom. But his job required it. Grabbing his briefcase, he locked the door to his truck and headed into the tall glass building that housed the firm he worked for. Glancing at his watch, he realized he had to speed up his pace, or he wasn’t going to make the management meeting on time. God, Monday mornings sucked through a straw. Instead of getting on with the important stuff, he had to start the week with a damn meeting where the firm’s partners could complain about the money flow, the fact that they had few new clients with the way the economy was going, and they were still busting his and every other architect’s chops about their design work.

He was almost to the door when he happened to look to his right and saw the extraordinary woman sitting near the fountain in front of the building. Eyes narrowed, chest tightening, he thought about ignoring her and continuing on his way, but he knew she wouldn’t let him pass. With a heavy sigh, he walked over to her.

She sat quietly on the edge of the fountain, her long black hair streaming behind her. Her eyes were a shade of deep purple, luminously exotic and alluring, but with a hint of mystery, and at the moment seemed to stare back at him with an amusement he wanted to wipe off her damn face. She was dressed in what Jason could only describe as a medieval princess dress…it looked straight out of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It was white, a purer white than he’d ever seen, and embroidered along the neckline, sleeves and waist in an intricate Celtic Knot design in gold thread. Her shoulders were left bare, the creamy skin luminescent in the morning sun. “What are you doing here?”

“Such hospitality,” she purred, flipping her hair behind her ear.

“I don’t have much love for you, or Hayden, at this point. What do you want?”

“Is Dr. Oliver alright?” The question threw him off.

Looking confused and frustrated, he asked, “You’re a goddess, all powerful, and you’re asking me something you could easily find out for yourself why?”

Rolling her eyes, she raised her chin. “Contrary to what you believe, some things are beyond even my power. I can’t get near him at the moment, particularly because he’s still with Kimberly.”

“And what? You have no access to her?” He saw he’d hit the answer right on the head. “If you can’t get near her, then neither can Hayden.”

“Not true. He doesn’t follow the rules, I do. Otherwise he’d have never gotten so close to the Teacher or Lover. It is within my power to protect the three of you for her. Without you, the balance tips in Hayden’s favor. You three are central to her choice, and her power.”

“Then you’ll be happy to know that Hayden fucked with the wrong person,” Jason hissed. “If he thought injuring Tommy as he did was going to make Kimberly happy with him, he obviously doesn’t know her as well as he thinks.”

Kallisto nodded. “This, I know. She loved her husband and child with heart and soul, but I understand what Hayden doesn’t. Her connection with Dr. Oliver goes much deeper than any but Zordon ever suspected. Deeper than friendship, deeper than camaraderie, deeper than love; it’s is a soul deep link between them that was forged by forces outside of themselves.”

The former Red and Gold Ranger still didn’t trust Kallisto further than he could throw her, and probably never would given that she was using his sister as a weapon, but he had to admit, the woman understood what so few had. Outside of their team and their immediate predecessors, Jason knew that only Chris had ever had any understanding of what lay between Kimberly and Tommy. Understood it, accepted it, and had still loved Kimberly endlessly. In the beginning, before that understanding had come, he’d been a normal guy, prone to a bit of jealousy where his woman was concerned, but he’d gotten past it, maybe not fully, but enough that he accepted Kim’s friendship with Tommy.

“If you understand that, then why can’t you help more?”

“I would if I could, Protector, but she alone can make the choice. I can guide her, I can help you to protect and teach her, as you three already love her, but the choice ultimately lies within her. Do you have so little faith in her that you fear her decision?”

Jason bristled at the accusation that his faith in his sister was not there. There were days when he felt he couldn’t trust himself, but there had never been a lack of trust in the tiny woman he’d known since childhood. Even at her worst, and he’d seen her at tons of her worst moments, he’d never not trusted her. “No, but I’m also not stupid, and I know that hurts and pain have a tendency to cloud our judgment of what we know is right. Kim’s human, and prone to the mistakes and missteps that come with being human.”

“It’s good that you understand that, Protector. Remember it when Rain gives you the aide you need.”

Without another word, she turned and began to stride away before she disappeared in a cloud of power. Shaking his head, Jason looked down at his watch, and with some shock saw that it was the same time as it had been when he looked last. Pushing it away for now, he headed inside for the morning meeting.

gok

9:00 P.M.  
Kim’s House  
1993 Canyon Grove Rd.  
Angel Grove, CA

With a hot mug of tea resting on her nightstand, dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a pink tank top, Kim sat curled in the center of her bed. In her lap was the book she’d picked up at Kallisto’s shop. She stared at the pages curiously, noting that more than halfway through the book they were…blank. It gave her a bit of a start to see that the story only went so far. Holding her breath, she opened it up to the last place she’d been. The breath she’d been holding whooshed right out of her when she read the next passage of the story. 

After the death of her family, the young crane had wandered aimlessly around their home, hiding each time troops came or went from the battlefields. Her loneliness was ten fold now, as she longed for the family she’d made and for the flock she’d left behind years before. No matter what she did, something always reminded her of those she’d learned to soar with. She hid well day in and day out, until a group of humans came, and stayed in her home. But these humans were unlike those that had destroyed her family. These warriors, for they could be nothing else, began to repair the damage done to her home. It took her several days to realize these humans were wielding magic, great magic.

At the end of the first week, they finally revealed their true selves. From her hiding place, she watched in awe as they became a bear, an ape, a wolf, a frog, a lion, a dragon, and a falcon. Against all odds, her flock had found her after years of separation. She recognized the griffin was gone, and with an intuitiveness she’d not had before, she realized that her sister griffin had died. Shamefully, however, she found that she could not bring herself to reveal her presence to them. Her heart made itself known again when it cried out as they prepared to leave. And that’s when the armies came back.

Kim trembled, though not as badly as before. After what had happened in the last week, she found she wasn’t so surprised by the story. After all, hadn’t Hayden tried to change the story of her life? What was to stop Kallisto from trying, if only in a different way, with this book?

gok

6:00 P.M.  
Tuesday  
May 5, 2009  
Emerald Dawn Martial Arts Academy  
91495 Falcon Crest Ave  
Angel Grove, CA

Sweat trickled down his back, wetting his already damp shirt. His muscles were singing from the abuse he’d put them through. He’d never expected a day would come when Kimberly of all people would consistently beat him in a sparring session, especially since he held a fourth degree black belt in Karate and several first degrees in other forms. Kim was a beginner at best, but boy was she kicking his ass. He could hear Adam chuckling on the sideline every time he crashed to the mat.

“Jase, you’re not even trying,” she whined in complaint, bending over him.

“Sorry,” he mumbled, accepting her hand and help up.

“I’m not going to get any better if you don’t get your head in the game,” she huffed. “After what happened Sunday…”

Jason nodded. He wanted to cuddle and protect her but knew she didn’t want, or need, either. She wanted to be prepared. “GUYS!” Adam yelled, point to the television screen in the corner. A special news bulletin was coming through on the evening news.

“What the hell?” Kim hissed as they watched a building downtown being evacuated even as it was being assaulted by creatures.

“Looks like Hayden’s at it again,” Jason grumbled.

Kim’s expression was grim. “The question is what are we gonna do? I haven’t learned to use any of my powers; hell, other than summoning a little wind, I don’t know what they even are.”

“I’ve got Ranger powers,” Adam reminded them. “Jason can take my Zeonizers.”

“That’ll leave Kim unprotected,” Jason answered.

Kim cleared her throat. “We need to do something, NOW.”

“Let’s go!” Jason grabbed his keys and the trio headed out of the back room, a shout to Adam’s assistants about an emergency and then the three were out the door and piling in Jason’s truck.

gok

10 Minutes Later  
Downtown Angel Grove

“Game plan?” Kim asked. She felt her heart up in her throat – her Ranger days were long behind her, but she knew she had no choice now – step aside and watch Hayden take over or stand and fight. She still didn’t trust Kallisto, but she trusted Hayden even less.

“How about don’t get killed?” Adam tried to joke.

Jason grinned and shook his head while Kim glared at him. “That was so funny I forgot to laugh.”

Jason an Adam shared a chuckle as Jason swung the truck into the parking lot where the attack was taking place. “God I miss teleporting!” the former Red Ranger huffed as the three ran from the car toward the scene. Cops were already sealing off the area, so they had to act fast.

“How are we going to get through?” Adam asked.

“Up and over!” Jason commanded. The three sprinted forward and vaulted over the police barricades, causing alarm among the officers gathered.

They quickly landed and began another sprint, out distancing the cops in seconds, with Kim quipping, “There goes our secret identities!” 

The guys could only laugh as they engaged the minions. Yet again, they were the Maligore wanna-be creatures and some weird beings that looked like a mix between a putty and a mummy. “DAMN!” Jason barked when he was kicked in the chest, the blow sending him stumbling backwards.

“Avoid getting kicked in the chest!” Adam shouted at Kim.

The former Pink Ranger rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah, really, ya think?” Somersaulting backwards, she managed to avoid several strikes, only to find herself vulnerable enough that they grabbed her arms and legs. “LET GO!” she seethed.

“KIM!” Jason hollered.

Adam twisted and struck out, trying to get free to get to her. “NO!”

“So, my Lady, you’ve made your choice?” Hayden hissed angrily, grabbing Kimberly’s chin tightly in his fingers as his minions held her still. She did everything she could to free herself, but found it was only making her tired. Finally, Kimberly took him in, really took in his appearance, perhaps seemingly for the first time. He wore the same black suit that he’d worn when she’d seen him last, the same dark tie and starched white shirt. His dirty blonde hair was slicked back, his goatee expertly groomed, and he wore shiny black shoes. But the look on his face and in those sizzling, electric blue eyes, it was utter madness. He wasn’t just evil, he was insane.

Ever the defiant one, Kim stopped moving and glared up at him. “No, you made the choice for me when you tried to kill Tommy.”

Hayden looked livid. “I’ll destroy you!”

“You can try. Newsflash, we Rangers don’t die so easily!”

It was one of those pivotal moments in life, and she knew it. She was so close to dying by his hand but against every odd, she’d made her choice. She would, at the expense of her own life, fight for those she loved, and for those who had no power to fight. Despite the disturbing information she’d uncovered about Zordon and Zedd and her time as a Ranger, it hadn’t dampened her sense of right or wrong. Yes, the pain of losing Chris and Evan had her questioning a lot of the things she’d always believed in, but Hayden had seriously overplayed his hold over her. There were other questions that she needed to ask, other feelings below the surface to be dealt with, but for now she knew one thing – powers or not, she would always be a Ranger.

And Rangers didn’t give up, give in, or go quietly into the night.

Hayden’s eyebrow arched when the brown of Kimberly’s eyes completely disappeared and turned white. Her body also began to glow an unearthly white in color. “I suggest you release her!” a new voice cut in on the sounds of the fight.

All eyes swung around to the newcomer. He stood tall, his short dark brown hair flowing with the breeze that had seemed to have picked up around them, deep brown eyes filled with a fire and intensity as he glared at Hayden. Dressed in a black t-shirt and black jeans, he looked like any other ordinary man, except for the power radiating around each clenched fist.

“Rain, how good to see you. I guess you haven’t stopped being Kallisto’s lap dog?”

“I am no one’s lap dog, Hayden,” Rain responded, power swirling around his body. “I am merely the messenger, a watcher over the Guardian.”

The longer Hayden’s mummy creatures held Kimberly, the brighter she grew, until she was barely visible. Rain swore before flinging shields up around Jason and Adam. With a loud, inhumane screech, Kim’s body cut loose, white power leaving her in a terrifying rush.

“KIM!” Jason and Adam yelled together, the shield around them blocking any attempt to reach her. 

“RAIN! LET US GO!” Adam demanded.

When the smoke cleared, the mummy creatures and Maligore wanna-be things were gone, Hayden was several feet from where he’d once stood, his suit torn and his lips bloodied, kneeling and staring up at Kimberly. Rain, likewise, was kneeling, his black t-shirt ripped in spots, but his eyes were latched onto Kimberly’s form as it levitated a good two feet off the ground. Her hair surrounded her, floating on the nimbus of power that filled her.

“The first to come is the power of Air,” Rain whispered, smiling.

“This is not the end!” Hayden hissed before disappearing.

Jason and Adam stared at Kimberly, both realizing her powers were VERY real now, and were definitely not a remnant of her Ranger powers. “Holy shit…” Jason gasped.

“Guardian,” Rain softly called, his voice a lilting, calm tone that played to Kimberly’s overly stressed nerves.

“Watcher,” she responded, though her eyes were still white and no one could tell where she was looking as she hadn’t moved her head at all.

Rain grinned. “You’ve taken the first step,” he told her, watching as her body lowered to the ground. Her legs buckled but Adam and Jason were there to catch her, Rain having released them from their shield. Slowly, Rain approached the trio, hoping to ward off any tension that Kimberly was sure to start feeling. He knelt before her and reached for her hand. “Do you believe now?”

Body still thrumming with power, Kimberly nodded. “I don’t want to be a Ranger again, that time of my life is over.”

“And so you shall not be a Ranger, but the Guardian, the Key, capable of using all the powers and skills one who carries such a title should. You will be the light and hope of your world, the last line of defense in the war that’s to come.”


	6. Attacking On Another Front

God Only Knows  
Chapter 5: Attacking On Another Front  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Started: September 22, 2010  
Finished: January 10, 2011

Summary: The hardest part of faith is the last hour. -- David Wilkerson  
Rating: M  
Characters: Kim, Adam, Tommy, Jason

Author’s Note: So now we get to the good stuff. Yes, the game plan has changed, yes, Kim will be wielding powers in this…it was kind of hard to escape it once I redid the outline for the story. But these aren’t normal powers, she won’t be wearing spandex, and this time around, Tommy, Jason and Adam are limited in what they can do. This chapter is going to focus on her training and her relationships with the guys…and expect a surprise or two to come.

Author’s Note 2: See the bottom of the chapter for a special announcement for all you fans of GoK!

Dedication To: psycochick32, the biggest GoK fan I think I have….thank you for the wonderfully funny reviews, they keep me going when I feel like crap! I dedicate this chapter to you!

Special Thanks: Shawn, thank you for listening to me plot and plan, and for giving me tips when you felt I needed it. Ang thanks for the enthusiasm and support. Enigma thank you so much for the constant faith in my work, and finally Liz, my dear, thanks for being such a sweetheart! You four don’t know how much I appreciate it all, or how much you’ve enriched my life simply by being who you are. As Shawn once said, thank you doesn’t seem enough. I love you works best 

Please Visit http : // www . valhallaboard . com / forum / (without the spaces) - this is the multi-fandom message board I co-run with the four people in my “Special Thanks” section.

gok

I feel so alone,  
Can't seem to find my out of this low?  
No, it don't seem right  
I didn't have a chance to say goodbye.

In this silent space,  
I close my eyes I can hear you say  
That it's alright,  
But my world's such an empty place tonight.  
Cause I know that,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I’ll hold on... God only knows.

As the time goes by,  
It gets a little easier to smile.  
I know I'll never forget  
Everything that you said.  
You said it's alright,  
It's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,  
Yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to,  
If I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.

And the lights above you will never fade if you keep looking up  
Right around there is a better place if you believe in love.  
Cause I know that, it's all part of life.

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye, yeah I still miss you.  
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.  
Yeah, I still need you.  
Cause I don't want to, if I don't have to ever let you go.  
The longest I'll hold on, the longest I'll hold on.  
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.  
God only knows.  
Ya, God only knows.  
God only knows.  
\-- Orianthi, God Only Knows --

gok

Frustration ran rampant among the group as they stood in the woods beyond Tommy’s house. Rain had insisted on privacy for training, particularly since Kimberly wasn’t use to her powers yet. No one wanted to see an innocent bystander get hurt by an out of control attack. “This isn’t helping,” Kimberly huffed in irritated as Rain shook his head at her.

“You are not trying hard enough. You have to dig deep and find your well of power.”

A seething glare was shot in his direction. He seemed so damn sure that she could do this, and yet, she wasn’t sure at all. “Contrary to what you might think, I’ve never done this before.”

“You did it when you got your Ninja powers.”

Tommy and Adam winced when Kim’s color fled her face and her expression went blank. They never really talked about the Ninja days, because it was such a rough spot with Kim due to what had happened to her. Whether she said it or not, losing her Ninja powers and eventually giving up her Range powers was still a very, very sore subject, for so many reasons and on so many levels.

“Ninjor gave us our powers, we didn’t have to work for them, not like this,” Kim tartly retorted.

“Yes, you did. You survived the Desert Of Despair, beat the Tengas, made it to the Temple, AND told Ninjor to go to hell when he wouldn’t help you,” Rain pointed out sarcastically. “I’d say you more than earned your powers. You were just more receptive to opening yourself to them then. Youth and naivety came in rather handy, didn’t they?”

Instead of standing there watching as Rain berated Kim, Tommy moved forward and laid his hand on her shoulder. Her whole body seemed to relax at his touch. “I have an idea,” he spoke, drawing everyone’s attention. “And Rain, in case you forgot, the Ninja powers are what almost killed Kimberly. Of course she’s scared.” The venom in his voice was not mistaken for anything but what it was – a firm command to the Watcher to mind where he stepped in regards to their pasts.

“What is your idea, Falcon?” Rain asked, using the former Rangers spirit animal at the last second. Calling him the Lover always raised the Guardian’s hackles. Given that she’d finally relaxed, he didn’t want to upset her anymore.

Tommy motioned for Rain to step back while beckoning Adam and Jason to join him. Reaching out, he grasped Kimberly’s hands in his own, keeping them palm to palm. “Adam, Jason, put one hand on Kim and one on me.”

Rain watched the group with curiosity. He hadn’t expected any of them to be able to do anything beyond what they already knew how to do. They were all touching, forging a physical link just as strong as the mental and emotional one they shared. “Adam…” Tommy murmured.

The former Green and Black Ranger seemed to instinctively know exactly what his former team leader was asking for. Taking a deep breath, he began the call of power they had used so long ago, in a temple, far, far away. "Older than time, man has always known the calling. Light of the light, strength of the soul, ignite the eternal power inside me! I am ninja!”

Much to Rain’s surprise, Tommy and Kimberly’s voices raised with Adam’s. “I am pure of heart, mind, body and spirit! Join with me as I become one with the power of Ninja!"”

Before any of the others could respond, Jason finally spoke. “I am the Dragon, protective and loyal!”

“I am the Frog, courageous in spirit!”

“I am the Falcon, just and able!”

“I am the Crane!” Kim’s choked voice sounded. “Agile and graceful!”

The Watcher smiled as the whole group began to glow with the power they bore. Walking forward, he stopped inches from the circle of power they formed. “Dig deep, agile Crane. Focus on the warm center of your power.”

As Rain spoke, the glow seemed to die down, leaving Kimberly, and Tommy to a lesser degree, still shinning with power. “Why’s Tommy still lit up?” Jason asked, confused.

With a secretive grin, Rain nodded. “Because he shares the power of air with her.” Jason frowned and Adam chuckled.

“Kim?” Tommy murmured, their hands coming up to chest height, fingers linked.

She looked at him with pure white eyes, a shy smile gracing her features. “Yeah?”

“You ready?”

“I think so.” He’d always been her pillar of strength, and the wind beneath her wings, but it was time to stop hiding and start doing. She had to fly on her own now, and know that Tommy and the others would be there to catch her.

With a nod, Tommy let her go and motioned for Adam and Jason to step away. As the trio joined Rain, the wind in the clearing began to pick up strength. First just a fluttering breeze and then a strong gust until it turned into hurricane force winds. If it hadn’t been for Rain, the guys would have been literally blown away. “Kimberly, you need to focus your scope and the power,” Rain communicated with her.

The wind slowly died down, and in Kim’s hands a swirling vortex appeared. The brighter Kim grew, the faster the wind in her hands spun until it all completely winked out. When it did, Kim’s knees buckled and she began to sink to the ground. Tommy caught her before she did, lowering her slowly while cradling her in his arms. “Head rush,” she quipped, watching Tommy’s concerned frown turn into a grin. She could see the fear in his eyes, but it was diminishing slowly.

“Pretty heady feeling, huh?”

“Reminded me of my first morph.”

“Well done, Guardian,” Rain drew their attention to him. “Each session you’ll get better and better at calling it to you, and then using it. For now, I suggest we break for a meal.” The former Rangers nodded and after gathering their things, headed back toward Tommy’s house.

gok

She sat curled on the corner of the picnic table on Tommy’s front lawn, her back to the porch, her lunch forgotten in front of her. The guys were chatting about weapons and moves that they could teach her, while Rain interjected with possible situations that might arise. Through it all, she remained silent, her face turned to the forest that surrounded the house. Her instincts were coiled tight, almost as if she knew that something was coming, her senses picking up the disturbance in the world around her. Part of her was disgusted at the feeling, because it reminded her so much of being a Ranger and she defiantly kept reminding them all she didn’t want to be a Ranger anymore. She had no choice; just because she wouldn’t be donning the spandex again, didn’t mean she wasn’t a Ranger at the heart and soul of who she really was. Her days of believing she could save the world should have been well behind her, but even now, the grown woman, the one who was mourning her family, could feel the spark of the pink-loving teen growing inside of her.

If she kept on the course she was currently on, she knew she’d be back to believing she could make a difference and save the world, but she still felt so disillusioned by all she’d learned. The sweet memories of being one of the original Power Rangers were now tainted by the truth of why she was made a Ranger in the first place. It hadn’t been to save the world, she hadn’t been chosen on her own merit; she’d been picked to be a Ranger because Zordon was trying to hide her true identity and destiny. He’d tried to make the choice for her, and look what had happened. In the end, he’d given his own life to save hers, and left yet another burden on her already weary soul.

She had to blink away the tears when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning her head, she caught sight of Adam standing just behind her, his hand held out. “Take a walk with me,” he smiled shyly, not bothering to mention the look on her face or the tears sliding down her cheeks. With a nod, she took his hand and let him help her up before they walked back toward the trees.

They moved in silence, Kim’s arms wrapped tightly around her waist, Adam with his arms at his sides. Biting her lip, the former Pink Ranger looked at the world around her as she and her brother entered the forest just at the edge of the clearing where Tommy’s house was. Neither said a word, choosing instead to just walk the path before them. The unmistakable cry of a bird pierced the silence, drawing both their gazes to the trees. On one of the uppermost branches of a huge tree, they spotted the bird of prey and both shivered. It was a falcon, perched on a sturdy branch, watching them closely. Adam shook his head, a smile on his face, while Kimberly’s lips quivered and she stopped moving to stare at the large bird.

Taking a deep breath, Kimberly turned and continued down the path, Adam right beside her. The rushing sound of wings flapping accompanied them, and both looked over to the left to see that the falcon had taken flight and was circling around their heads as they walked. “Creepy stalker,” Kim muttered, causing Adam to chuckle.

“Think of who you’re talking about here,” he teased, watching her roll her eyes.

“I don’t need him babysitting me,” she responded.

“Kim, I don’t think that’s why it’s following us,” Adam told her, eyes going back and forth between her and the bird. “You two are connected on much deeper levels than the rest of us, and you know it. You weren’t the only one who had their wings clipped when you lost your powers and left the team.”

She hated him for being right. She knew that when she’d left, a lot of Tommy’s fight had too; and even more so when she’d broken up with him. Despite Kat’s love and his own ability to get past it, they had all known Tommy had never quite been the same after that. It wasn’t smugness or the feeling that she was oh so important to him that told her that, it was plain truth. He’d been a very guarded individual to begin with; he was even more so now. “I hate all of this, and I hate that you’re being dragged into it with me,” she finally spoke up. “You all have lives you should be enjoying, not being forced to do something you’ve already done, not like this.”

“At any time, Kim, we could have said no, we could have walked away. You know why we haven’t,” he pointedly reminded her.

“Because you were born to be Rangers?” she responded, only to have Adam glare at her. “Yeah, yeah, because you guys love me too much to let me go through it alone.”

“And because we know how you feel,” he finished. “We’ve been there, remember? Jason, Tommy and I all got pulled back into this after we figured we’d never come back.”

“I can’t handle someone else dying on my behalf,” she cried softly, her eyes filling. “Zordon…”

“Gave you the chance to grow up, Kim. He may have made some unwise choices regarding not telling you about this, but he gave you everything he could – a chance to grow up, to live your life, and to have time to gather the strength to make that decision. He trusted in the woman he saw you could be, trusted you to make the right decision,” Adam earnestly told her. “You set the standard for every woman who has worn your color; you, not him. You. This is your choice, only you can make the decision. Rain, Kallisto, Hayden, me, Jason, Tommy…none of us can make it for you. Not even Zedd or Zordon. Only you.”

“I don’t know what I’m doing, Adam.”

The grin that spread across his face was a familiarly impish one. “Kim, I have faith in you. You’ll figure it out, or you’ll forge your own unique path. You’ve never been one to sit on your ass and let destiny or fate choose your path; you’re the one who makes things happen.”

gok

His original plan had failed. He hadn’t expected her to buck him after she had found out that Zordon, almighty sage he was believed to be, had lied to her. For those who had served the morphin grid, a betrayal like that would have, once, resulted in a complete distancing from all that they had known before. It’s how he’d turned so many of the guardians before. Apparently, THIS guardian was different, and perhaps more difficult. It also made Kimberly all that more appealing to him. Perhaps she WAS worthy of standing by his side, ruling with him.

Obviously, his plan to destroy those who surrounded her, who had been teammates, family, and even her lover, had not been a successful one. It was time to try a different strategy. If he couldn’t destroy them, maybe he could turn them to his side, and in doing so, draw Kimberly with them. After all, these warriors had kept some of the strongest evils in the universe from over running their planet. Zedd, Master Vile, Rita Repulsa, Divatox, Maligore and Dark Spector had been among some of the greatest evils of the last ten thousand years, and yet, Zordon’s children had thwarted them at every turn. There had to be something about the humans that could be extremely useful to him, beyond him gaining Kimberly’s assistance in destroying everything made of light.

With a grim determination, he dug into his vast stores of power and began to bring forth memories of all the battles fought by the Rangers since they had first appeared on Earth. He had to figure out exactly what made these warriors tick before he could use it to his advantage.

gok

He rushed off the Megaship, in a hurry to see why the Council Of Elders had summoned him to Eltar. Elder Hin had said it was extremely important and could possibly be a turning point in the safety of the universe. “Andros,” Elder Hin greeted at the doorway to the palace.

“You said it was important, I came as soon as I could,” the Red Ranger rushed on as the pair hurried into the palace.

“And it is. As you know, when Dark Spector came for Zordon, he destroyed everything in his path to taking Zordon hostage,” Hin explained. “We left it as it was, as a symbol of Zordon’s sacrifice, but recently the council has voted to turn it into a living shrine of Zordon’s legacy of not only his own deeds but of the Rangers’ as well. When we started going through the debris, we found a secret room, but we have not been able to gain entrance. The computer lock on the door, keeps saying something about Rangers.”

“And you think I may be able to open it?” Andros surmised as they entered the palace’s teleportation room. Seconds later, they were just outside the city in the home Zordon had lived in prior to his capture and death a decade before.

Hin nodded and ushered Andros toward the large vault door that was in the lowest point of the house. The second Andros was near the vault, the room lit up. Stepping forward, Andros placed his palm against the access pad to the right of the door. The pad changed from blue to green and a ping echoed out. “Welcome Andros,” a voice spoke seconds before the door slid open. “Only Rangers are allowed entrance here.”

Andros motioned for Hin and the guards to remain where they were as he entered the vault, the door sliding shut behind him. Inside, he found many artifacts, some he recognized and others he didn’t, but what pulled at him was the glowing pink sphere floating above a white velvet pillow in the center of the room. When he approached, he was bathed in a haze of pink light.

gok

“Hello Watcher.”

“Hello,” Rain responded with a rare smile on his face as he turned from the window where he stood. The being before him was not foreign to him, but this was the first time they’d met face to face. The wise sage’s legacy and reputation preceded him with all who lived in Rain’s realm. The Wise One wasn’t a god or goddess, but merely a being that had attained the highest level of spiritual enlightenment and power. The one word that came to mind for Rain was Legend. “What brings you here? You should be enjoying your much deserved rest.”

A knowing look crossed the sage’s face. “Were the Guardian and her warriors not in danger, I would be. However, I cannot simply sit by and not do any and all in my power to prepare them or aid them. They were once mine, and always I will carry a special place for them. I will not abandon them.”

“She’s still very angry with you,” Rain spoke, a serious expression crossing her face. “Knowing you kept it from her…”

“How could I have dumped more than I had on her shoulders? I gave her the most important role I could, to keep her safe, and it was a hard but successful adjustment for her. She was already dealing with so much, to reveal the truth then…”

The Watcher sighed and nodded. “You’d have lost her.”

“I did what I could. I gave her the time and the space to grow up, to become the woman I knew she would be. By not telling her of her destiny, I let her forge her own path, and she earned her place as the heart and soul of her team. There has been no other like her, and there never will be. Each who has come after her, they’ve taken what she started and built upon it.”

“She refuses to be a Ranger again, and I can’t blame her.”

“She will never be simply a Ranger again. Her power goes far beyond that. The Lover may be the legendary warrior now, but his power comes nowhere near hers.”

Rain knew the Wise One’s words were true. And even if he didn’t, the results of Kimberly leaving the Ranger team were clear enough – the harmony and balance that had tied the Ninja Rangers had been shattered, and their Morphin’ powers had been left vulnerable to destruction. “She has such trust issues now.”

The Wise One chuckled. “She’s always had those. She’s suspicious by nature now, I’m afraid. And you can thank her parents for that. But she knows all about duty, responsibility, and honor. She’ll do what needs to be done, nothing less than perfection, because in her heart, she knows what is right and true, despite the hardships she’s faced. Believe in her, and she will show you miracles.”

gok

After a hard day of training with Kim, Adam and Tommy and a family dinner at Kat’s parents’ house that night, Jason could barely keep his eyes open as he trudged around his bedroom to get ready for bed. He had to be to work early the next morning because he had an onsite consultation with a client, so as he got his work clothes ready, he felt himself nodding off. Quietly he slipped into bed and drifted off to sleep.

He knew something was wrong when he found himself in the middle of the empty Command Center. At first he wondered if it was just a memory, brought on by the hours of training and being around his friends, particularly Kimberly. He had fond memories of her by his side as they beat back the forces of evil as teenagers. When the awful chill raced down his spine though, he knew something was very, very wrong. If this was a memory, where were Alpha and Zordon? Other than the one time they disappeared to bring Tommy back as the White Ranger, the base had never been devoid of both of them at the same time, at least not in his time as a Ranger.

“You don’t belong here, traitor,” a dark, sinisterly hissing voice whispered in his ear. Jason spun around in circles trying to see where it was coming from and found no one with him. “You belong elsewhere.”

The former Red and Gold Ranger’s eyes narrowed as the world around him suddenly shifted to the island of Murianthias and Maligore’s temple. Some of his worst memories of his time as a Ranger came from this very volcano. “Who’s there?” He smelled the familiar scent of perfume wafting around him. He knew who the owner of the smell was, could close his eyes and envision each feature of her lovely face, the sway of her hips as she walked, the welts her voice could raise on a soul when she was angry or the comfort she gave when she whispered in your ear. He knew her as intimately as he knew himself. “Kat…”

“This is where you belong, where we both do,” she hissed intimately in his ear, her nails scratching down his arm as she passed into the light. “This is where your true self was revealed, just like mine was all those years ago in the youth center.”

He narrowed his gaze at her, feeling that this was most definitely not his Kat. “What?”

“Maligore gave you freedom, Jason. Don’t you remember the heady feeling of being free? No worries, no consequences, just pure and unadulterated ability to cause harm? You know just as well as I do that you want to go back to that,” she seductively purred. “You and Kimberly were both recipients of a wonderful, wonderful gift. If only Zordon and Lerigot hadn’t interfered.”

One dark eyebrow rose while the expressions on his face narrowed to stone. Perhaps if Hayden had done a better job and done a bit more research into Kat and her personality, he might have pulled off the little stunt. As it was, he’d only made Jason angrier by using the woman he loved against him, and by mentioning his sister. “Hayden, you’re full of bullshit.”

The beautiful version of Kat dissipated into the hulking form of Hayden walking toward Jason. “You know this is where you belong. You aren’t one of them; you’re not a little do-gooder. All Zordon did was open your eyes to your true potential, and nature. You’re one of us!” Hayden all but laughed, sweeping his arm out to the side and revealing Zedd, Rita, Mondo, Maligore, Dark Spector and many others Jason had no doubt had been part of the evil that the Rangers fought against. And then he saw the petite figure moving forward to stand next to Hayden. Kimberly wasn’t evil, and she wasn’t here in this place, she wasn’t real. She was in the guestroom at Tommy’s in Reefside, safe and sound under the protection of her Falcon.

But Jason remembered back to that time, and he had a moment of doubt. When Maligore had taken him so suddenly, turned him so quickly, he’d truly wondered if he was evil. But then Lerigot had freed him and Kim as soon as he could, with the Turbo Rangers’ help. And then Tommy had told him what Zordon and Lerigot knew – only one pure of heart could be turned by Maligore. Pure of Heart…since the day he’d become a Ranger, he had been aware of his ability to be violent, but that was only in the face of protecting those he loved and the world he lived in. For no other reason would he have ever used his skills in such a way.

“I’ve never been and will never be one of you. The only reason Maligore managed to turn me was because I was pure of heart. I don’t seek to destroy, I defend. I don’t selfishly take, I selflessly sacrifice for the better good. I wouldn’t join you if it meant saving my life or the lives of anyone I loved, because that would dishonor them, as well as Zordon’s memory and everything I’ve fought for my entire adult life. And newsflash, asshole, my sister’s already stronger than you think – she turned you down once, she’ll do it again. No matter what!”

“THEN YOU WILL DIE!” Hayden roared seconds before Jason jolted upright, sweat pouring off his body. His eyes were open but it took a few minutes for them to see where he was. In his own room, in a bed drenched in sweat, his heart racing so fast it scared him. Feeling sick to his stomach, he rolled out of bed and reached for the phone. He dialed the number by memory alone.

“This had better be good, Jason,” the sleepy, mildly angry, beautifully Australian voice hissed.

“I love you,” he murmured.

There was a startled gasp. “Jase? Honey?”

“I’ll explain tomorrow. Can you swing by before work?”

“Of course! What’s wrong?”

“I’ll explain tomorrow. Just swing by. Love you.”

“I love you too. Bye.”

After he hung up the phone with Kat, he moved to the window and dialed another number long burned into his memory. “Tommy here.”

“Bro.”

The tone alone alerted the former White Ranger to something being amiss. “Jase?”

“You and Kim okay?” he shakily asked, not wanting to freak Tommy out but knowing he was anyway.

There was a pause on the other end and Jason could hear Tommy whispering to someone. A grin slid onto his face and an eyebrow rose when he realized Tommy and Kimberly were asleep, together. More than likely on the couch after having watched a movie or late night television, but they were together. Just like they’d always, no matter what, been together. “Jason?” Kim’s sleepy voice echoed across the line, calming his heart rate down to normal. “What’s wrong?”

He swallowed. “I need you to come over to my house in the morning, before work. Please? Something happened tonight. I’m not hurt, promise,” he rushed on, knowing exactly what she was thinking by the sharp intake of air he heard from her. “I know Tommy won’t be able to make it, but I already called Kat. I need to talk to the two of you about this.”

“Of course. I’ll be there as soon as soon as I can be. Are you going to be okay?”

“I am now. Love ya Terror.”

“Night Rex.”

Clicking off the phone before tossing it on the bed, he began to strip off his clothes as he prowled toward the bathroom and a hot, steamy shower. If nothing else, the soothing routine would smooth away the edges of his fear and disgust and help clear his mind. He needed to think very carefully about what he was going to tell the girls when they got there in a few hours. Both of them were going to be justifiably angry and scared, and more than likely going to want to take large chunks out of Hayden, particularly Kimberly. The former Pink Ranger would see it as a personal attack on not just him, but on her as well. The guy was trying to go through those she loved to get to her, and she wasn’t going to take too kindly to that. When he got out and toweled off, he thought of calling Adam to tell him to come over, but he knew that Tanya had a doctor’s appointment in the morning to see if she was pregnant, and the former Black and Green Ranger needed to be with her when she went.

Jason prayed that they got some good news, because they could use it, but in the back of his mind, he worried that if Tanya was carrying a baby, she’d become the perfect target to strike at Adam and ultimately Kimberly. There wasn’t anything the two of them wouldn’t do to make sure Tanya was safe and sound. Absolutely nothing they wouldn’t do.

 


	7. Finding The Strength

God Only Knows  
Chapter 6: Finding The Strength  
By: Pink-Green-White-4ever  
Started: April 4, 2011  
Finished: May 26, 2013

Summary: The hardest part of faith is the last hour. -- David Wilkerson  
Rating: M  
Characters: Kim, Adam, Tommy, Jason

Thank you to all the fans of GoK, your support is so appreciated.

Special thanks: Shawn, Ang, Enigma, Liz, Ms. J and psycochick32 - As Shawn once said, thank you doesn’t seem enough. I love you works best 

(6/6/2012) In Loving Memory of psycochick32 – your warm, funny personality, talent, inspiration, and most of all your friendship, will be sorely missed. RIP Kim!

Please Visit http : // www . valhallaboard . com / forum / (without the spaces) - this is the multi-fandom message board I co-run with Shawn, Ang, Enigma and Liz.

gok

I feel so alone,   
Can't seem to find my out of this low?   
No, it don't seem right   
I didn't have a chance to say goodbye. 

In this silent space,   
I close my eyes I can hear you say   
That it's alright,   
But my world's such an empty place tonight.   
Cause I know that,   
It's all part of life. 

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,   
Yeah I still miss you.   
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.   
Yeah, I still need you.   
Cause I don't want to,   
If I don't have to ever let you go.   
The longest I’ll hold on... God only knows. 

As the time goes by,   
It gets a little easier to smile.   
I know I'll never forget   
Everything that you said.   
You said it's alright,   
It's all part of life. 

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye,   
Yeah I still miss you.   
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.   
Yeah, I still need you.   
Cause I don't want to,   
If I don't have to ever let you go.   
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows. 

And the lights above you will never fade if you keep looking up   
Right around there is a better place if you believe in love.   
Cause I know that, it's all part of life. 

I wish I had the chance to say goodbye, yeah I still miss you.   
So hard to see through the tears I've cried.   
Yeah, I still need you.   
Cause I don't want to, if I don't have to ever let you go.   
The longest I'll hold on, the longest I'll hold on.   
The longest I'll hold on... God only knows.   
God only knows.   
Ya, God only knows.   
God only knows.  
\-- Orianthi, God Only Knows --

gok

6:45 A.M.  
Scott Residence

She was absolutely seething as she stood in Jason’s kitchen, her arms folded across her chest, nails digging into her forearms. Jason stood next to the island, his hands braced against it as he repeated the dream from the night before. She could see the sluggishness in his movements, could hear the fear and uncertainty in his voice, and in that moment, for that singular moment, she felt like becoming her namesake and ripping Kimberly’s unmoving form apart, limb by limb. She had the unnatural urge to scratch her predecessor’s eyes out. If it hadn’t been for Hayden’s sick obsession with Kimberly, Jason wouldn’t feel the need to protect the petite former Ranger at all costs.

For a solitary second, she felt like she’d been shoved back over a decade to when they’d still been in high school and it seemed Jason and Tommy’s attention, no matter what, would always be focused on the petite former Pink Ranger. Graduating high school and leaving the Rangers behind, Katherine had assumed she’d finally worked past all her insecurities where the original Pink was concerned, but the feelings storming around inside of her made it abundantly clear that was not the case. Katherine’s gaze narrowed in on Kimberly’s back, watching the former gymnast stare at the counter she was sitting at, unmoving; it looked like the brunette was barely breathing.

“I’m so sorry for what he’s put you through,” came the whispered, barely audible response to Jason’s terrifying nightmare. Katherine watched Jason’s head snap up as he stared at the woman he called sister, the anguish in his countenance and expression more than the second Pink Ranger could stand. When the former Red and Gold Ranger reached out to bring Kimberly to him for a hug, the tiny woman merely shook her head and jumped out of her chair, rushing out the back door. Kat felt guilt seize her when she heard Kimberly gasping as she hit the door, struggling to control the panic attack they all knew was threatening.

Shaking her own head, the blonde motioned for Jason to remain where he was. “I love you,” he spoke, his voice transmitting his feelings quite clearly for her.

And her walls came down. Katherine looked from Jason’s haggard face to the figure on hands and knees in the center of his backyard, body heaving as she struggled to breath. Teammate. Friend. Sister. It was a bond, Katherine finally realized, that went deeper than she thought possible. The pair had forged it practically as infants, and it had never, despite all the obstacles they’d faced, been snapped. Jason’s need to protect Kimberly from harm was as much a part of him as his absolute devotion and all encompassing love for Katherine was. It made him who he was. “She needs someone who isn’t in the middle of this with her, someone objective, to talk to,” she murmured softly before she turned and strode out the door, gently shutting Jason in the house as she moved across the lawn before crouching before Kimberly. Reaching down, she rubbed a hand over her friend’s back in an attempt to soothe as she used the other hand to brush the waterfall of brown silk from Kim’s face. Her fingers grazed Kimberly’s forehead and she felt an electric jolt rocket down her arm from the contact, reminding her of her own link to the original Pink Ranger.

“You need to stop gasping for breath and breathe slowly,” the blonde ordered, tempering her harsh words with gentle hands. She felt her friend tremble and sit back on her legs, face turning up to the sky.

“I don’t blame you for being angry,” Kimberly uttered, her eyes squeezing shut. “I didn’t want any of them involved with this either.”

Staring at the woman she had both despised and admired for nearly half her life, Katherine was struck by one blaring fact – Kimberly had been one of the most selfless individuals she’d ever met. After all she’d been through she still put others before her own well-being. She was by no means perfect, because no one was, but this was the same woman who had given Katherine her own shot at redemption when she herself felt like she hadn’t earned it. She had been the one to welcome each of the new team members with open arms, who had made their adjustments easier. Whatever hurts Kim had inflicted in the process of growing up, they were between her and those she’d hurt. Kat realized she had no business judging something that really wasn’t about her. Kim needed a shoulder, something she so rarely asked for. This was one of her friends, one of her best friends, one who never asked for help, even when she needed it most. “They had every opportunity to tell you and Rain no,” she finally voiced the thoughts she’d gathered.

“I should have kept them out of it; done something to make them leave,” Kim declared through clenched teeth.

Katherine’s laughter rocketed out of her as she fell back on her butt, watching Kim turn to glare at her. “You really think you’d have been able to stop the three of them?” she pointedly asked, highly amused at the brunette’s words. “That’s actually comical, Kimberly,” her voice was a tinge mocking as they stared at one another.

“Something…”

Shaking her head at the still amusing comment, Kat leaned back on her arms. She was still angry, hurt, and scared, but she also had a few years of experience as a Ranger behind her and she knew life was weird sometimes. You could be upset and still be supportive. It was a trait found commonly among the Rangers, particularly the Pinks. “You and I both know how futile that would have been. Regardless of the danger, they’d have jumped in to help you, that’s just who they are, how they’re built. They’re Rangers, plain and simple. It’s that part of them that Zordon recognized from the start, it’s the same thing he saw in you, when he gave you the mantle of Pink Ranger,” she softly pointed out. 

“I’m terrified.”

Blue eyes blinked before the settled on Kim’s face. “If you weren’t, I’d be worried,” the blonde honestly answered. “You’ve been scared before, but Kimberly, you’re legendary for not running from your fear.”

“Being scared and being terrified are two different things,” Kim uttered. “It’s paralyzing, Kat; I feel like I’m drowning.”

“And that’s what the boys are there for,” the second Pink Ranger told her bluntly. “They love you, Kim; you’re teammate, best friend, sister….to all of them. They’re not going to let you fail.”

Watery brown eyes turned to sky blue ones, a depth of emotion swimming in both. “I can’t lose them, I won’t survive it again.”

Moving with a speed she wasn’t sure she possessed, Katherine threw her arms around Kimberly’s shaking form and hugged her tight. Just because she was pissed at Kim didn’t mean she loved her any less, and she knew the former Pink Ranger needed the hug. “Yes you would, because to do anything else would be a dishonor to their lives and any sacrifices they might make. Living for them is the only option you have.” Kimberly stiffened, hearing the double meaning in the quietly spoken words. “This is your destiny, and while part of it is foretold, you and I both know from experience, that you forge your own path if the one you see before you isn’t what you want. Having been a Ranger, you know that one of our most infamous mottos is…”

“Anything’s possible,” Kim finished the maxim, wrapping her arms around her friend. “Thank you.”

gok

10:00 A.M.  
NASADA Spaceport  
Angel Grove, CA

He hurried off the massive ship, careful not to rattle what he carried. He was grateful to see T.J. and Carlos waiting for him in T.J.’s car at the entrance to the hanger. Given what was inside the chest, he hadn’t wanted to wait to get transportation off the base. “I owe you,” he uttered, handing Carlos the chest before hopping into the front seat next to T.J.

“You can start by explaining what the emergency is,” T.J. quipped as he peeled away from the hanger, going much faster than the allowable limit, particularly when he hit the highway from the base and headed for Angel Grove.

“Look, I just spent two weeks going back and forth between Eltar and KO-35. I want to get this chest out of my possession and to its owner soon as possible.”

Carlos sat forward, his head between the two front seats. His expression was clearly one of confusion; particularly since the chest seemed to be glowing an unnatural pink color. “And who exactly is its owner?”

“Kimberly Hart.”

gok

10:30 A.M.  
Angel Grove General Hospital  
Dr. Chapin’s Office

He sat absolutely still as Tanya’s doctor relayed the happy news to them. He knew he had a dopey expression on his face, but the words ‘you’re going to be a father’ kept cycling around in his head and he couldn’t stop smiling. His dream of a family was finally coming true; he and Tanya were going to be parents, after everything they’d been through over the years. He could see her eyes shining and her smile overtake her face. His beloved was as happy as he was at the prospect that they were finally going to have a baby.

“You know what will happen if you persist in helping her, don’t you?” the dark, familiar voice all but hissed in his ear. “Everything you hold dear will be in constant danger. Your wife, being the woman she is, will try to help you, and the life you’ve been building will be destroyed. Can you afford to kill your unborn child? Who would you pick - the Guardian or an innocent babe?”

Adam’s whole body trembled as the doctor’s office around him shifted to a scene straight out of his worst nightmare. Kimberly stood shaking, her eyes on the crumbled form at her feet. His eyes welled with tears and his heart throbbed and ached when he recognized what, or more accurately who, she was staring down at. Tanya’s lifeless body was sprawled beneath the former Pink Ranger, limbs broken and angled at positions that shouldn’t have been possible. Her abdomen, which should have been slightly rounded with the beginnings of their child, was nothing but a bloody hole; muscles, organs, and skin torn and jagged. Below her body was a dark, ever-widening circle of what had been her life sustaining blood. Bile scorched the former Ranger’s throat, attempting to escape at the sight before him.

“This is what will happen if you continue to help the Guardian. She’ll bring destruction to everything you care about, and everyone.” Adam felt himself spun around, his eyes landing on the decapitated, disemboweled, and bloodied forms of his friends. He could vaguely make out body parts, like Katherine’s blond head, but overall it was a horrifying, sickening scene. And of course, Kimberly was standing in the center of it all. “Remember, you have been warned.”

“Adam?” Tanya’s soft, imploring voice drew him back to what he realized was reality. He stared into her worried eyes, noting she was holding his hands tightly in hers, and they were shaking. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

“Tanya…”

Her eyes narrowed. “Adam, what’s wrong? You’re shaking. A few minutes ago, you had a huge smile on your face, now you’re cold and clammy and your face looks like death warmed over.”

“I have to make a choice,” he said softly, reaching out to cup her face with one hand and her belly with the other. “If I keep helping Kim, I’ll be putting both of you in danger. I love her dearly, she’s my sister, but I can’t risk you, either of you.”

The fierceness of her Ranger color jumped into her expression and her eyes. “Adam, that’s absolutely ridiculous. You don’t have to choose, because I can protect myself and our baby, and I’m not involved in what’s happening. Neither Hayden or Kallisto has bothered with…” she stopped short when he flinched at the mention of Hayden. “He threatened me, and the baby, didn’t he?”

Adam could only nod and pull her into his arms, his face buried against her shoulder. “I can’t lose you.”

“And you won’t, unless Kimberly loses this fight. You know as well as I do that he’s just trying to hurt her, through me, our baby, and by making you doubt your choice to help her,” she angrily told him. “For God’s sake, Adam, we were Rangers; I know that you know he’s doing this to destroy her, to destroy the strength and security and support she needs to make this choice. He’s afraid she’s going to beat him.”

Adam’s head snapped up when she said that, and found that her doctor had obviously left the room before he’d completely spaced out. “But I can’t risk you.”

“You’re not,” she confidently told him before holding her arms out. She shook her wrists and watched him suck in a breath as her Zeonizers appeared out of thin air. “I’ve been carrying these with me ever since Tommy had his little showdown with Hayden at the dojo,” she explained. Reaching out, she cupped his face in her hands. “Do you honestly think Kimberly of all people is going to let something happen to any of us, let alone me, when she finds out I’m pregnant? This is the original Pink we’re talking about here.”

Adam gave a slightly watery, crooked smile and leaned forward to kiss her softly. “I’m going straight over to the dojo to tell her. She needs to know.”

A luminescent smile flew onto his wife’s face. “That sounds like a lovely idea. I’m going to go meet up with Kat and Aisha for lunch, why don’t we call everyone over for dinner tonight?”

“Sounds like a plan. I love you.”

“I know. I love you too.”

gok

12:00 PM  
Emerald Dawn  
Adam and Rocky’s Office

The former Black and Green Ranger bit his lip as he watched his sister in all things pace in his office, her face twisted in a pissed off, dangerous snarl as she digested what he’d told her. “I’m going to tear certain appendages off, if he even has them, and ram them down his throat!” she hissed furiously, her eyes sparking with unnatural shades of pink and white. Rocky remained leaning against one of the desks and Rain stood in the corner, arms crossed over his chest. “This is unacceptable!” she roared, spinning to face Rain, who looked as relaxed as anyone could with a raging former Pink Ranger bearing down on him.

“What would you have me do, Guardian? I am not to interfere beyond helping the four of you.”

Rocky shook his head. “You’ve got a lot to learn where Kim’s concerned,” the former Red and Blue Ranger uttered under his breath.

“I know that,” Kim spoke through clenched teeth, ignoring Rocky’s smart remark. “I don’t know how to get in touch with her, but I want you to tell Kallisto I want to speak to her. NOW.”

Rain’s dark eyebrows shot up into his hairline as he stared at the Guardian. Instead of the frightened, timid woman who wanted no part of this war, he found himself staring at a true Guardian, a woman who was finally coming into her own. If his conversations with Zordon were anything to go on, then this was the Kimberly the legendary one had often spoke of; the one who had the strength and skill of the pterodactyl, the passion and tenacity of the firebird, and the agility and grace of the crane. Perhaps her desire to protect what was left of her family was finally overcoming some of the grief she’d wrapped around her like a shroud. “You don’t need me to call her; you have that ability all on your own.”

A brilliant flash of light blinded them all before it disappeared, leaving Kallisto standing in the center of the room. “You called.”

A delicate, coral tipped finger suddenly found its way into the goddess’ face as Kimberly bore down on her. “YOU. You want me to fight this war, to save the known universe!” the petite brunette accused, watching one of Kallisto’s slim eyebrows shoot up.

“Careful,” Rain started, only to have Kallisto wave his comments off.

“She is the Guardian, she need not be careful around me with her demands and desires,” the goddess laughed softly, before turning her attention back to Kimberly. “Continue.”

“This isn’t a joke,” Kim’s voice came out, barely a whisper. “I fight for what I know is the right side, for the people who cannot fight for themselves. I don’t fight for you, Kallisto, and after what happened to Tommy, and Adam today, I’ll never fight for Hayden. I’ll die before I fight for either of you, but I’ll fight for the innocents, and since you seem to be the ally of those innocents, I demand you do something.”

“What would you have me do, Guardian? I’ve given Rain the power to give the Teacher, the Protector and the Lover abilities to aid you. What more could you possibly want?” Kallisto sarcastically asked, watching as Kimberly’s hair literally began to rise off her shoulders.

“I want your word that Tanya and her unborn child will be protected, at all costs. Either of you can take my life if you have to, but that sweet baby deserves a chance to be born, to live, to be loved by the parents that so desperately want it.”

Several gasps were heard when Kallisto tilted her head to the side and tears slid down her face. All-powerful goddesses weren’t supposed to cry. In Adam, and even Rocky’s, minds, they were startled to see this woman shed tears because of Kimberly’s passionate pleas. Violet eyes turned to stare at Adam, and the former Ranger knew before she even asked. “He threatened Tanya, our child, and our friends.”

“He was never supposed to be able to hurt the others,” Rain reminded them all, but specifically Kallisto. “He shouldn’t have the power to hurt them, but we all know he does.”

“He never did know how to follow the rules,” the goddess sighed, closing her eyes. “He is no longer bound by the laws of the other side, and unfortunately, there is no one there who can make him play by those rules. Our world is in utter chaos, and everyone is choosing sides. A division of power is happening, and my powers to help you, Guardian, are limited.”

“This isn’t to help me; it’s to save an innocent life. Because let me tell you something, if he hurts Tanya or her child, I’m going to send him straight back to hell where he belongs, and I’ll do it even if it means damning my own soul.”

The goddess’ eyes opened, noting the sincerity and threat in Kimberly’s eyes and her voice. The guardian would give anything to save this one child, not because it was the unborn offspring of her friends, not because she simply cared about it already, but because it was the right thing to do. Protecting the innocent, keeping them from harm, it was what the legacy she’d been a part of was all about. Perhaps, she thought silently, there was hope yet. “You have to choose.”

“I choose to fight for the people, for the innocent and helpless, and for those who don’t know what’s happening,” Kimberly bit out angrily. “I choose the side of this fight I’ve always chosen, because it’s the one that gives the people the ability to make their own choices, not to have someone make it for them.”

“Kimberly…” the quietly strong feminine voice prompted.

“I choose to fight for good.”

Kallisto nodded. “Then I will do everything in my power to remove Tanya and the child from the playing field. It’s all that I can promise you. They have the strongest protection I can give them.”

Violet and brown clashed for several moments before the stiffness in Kimberly’s body seemed to ease and she turned her head to look at Adam. “I promise you…”

“I’m going to help you end this, Sis,” he told her resolutely. “Because he just played the wrong card.”

gok

1:00 PM  
Reefside, CA  
The Clearing at Tommy’s

The grunts, pants, ki-yahs and slaps of weapons hitting each other echoed around the clearing where the four were training. They were each dressed in workout clothes – Jason, Adam and Tommy in gi trousers and tank tops; Kimberly in a black and pink leotard. They had forgone setting up the practice mats, instead acknowledging the need to be use to fighting on the ground again. Rain, Tanya and Katherine sat nearby, watching them while the girls unpacked the picnic lunch they’d made.

It had been just a day since the confrontation with Kallisto in regards to Tanya and the baby’s safety and Kimberly had been aggressively training to combat what she already knew was going to be the biggest fight of her life. She expertly jumped over the bo staff Jason swung at her, blocked the nun-chucks Adam swung at her, but couldn’t quite deflect the blow of Tommy’s sword, which she was vehemently grateful was wood and not steel. It slammed into her left arm, causing it to go completely numb as she crashed to the grass.

Katherine and Tanya tensed, but a shake from Rain’s head had them sitting back in their spots. None of the guys jerked in shock and stopped as they’d been prone to in the earlier days of training her – Tommy merely reached down and helped her to her feet before they started again. All of them were aware that Kimberly was going to have to take some blows, that they couldn’t shield her from any of it anymore.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, Kimberly shook off the ache in her arm, gripped her staff, and went back to sparring, three on one, again. Rain watched in satisfaction as she began subconsciously tapping into her wind powers. First it was just a gentle rush at Adam’s nun-chucks to cause them to swing back at him, and then it was a bit more toward Jason to throw him off balance. However, when it came to Tommy, the pair were evenly matched. Tommy’s control over the power of air allowed him to deflect her shot at him even as he swung his sword down in an arch.

The entire group blinked in surprise when Kimberly dropped her staff and caught the blade between her palms, stopping Tommy’s forward progress. Seconds later, the former Ranger leader was gasping in shock as the sword began to glow a deep, dark red and started steaming as if hot before it burst into flames. He dropped his hold on the hilt immediately and fell backwards with a cry of shock, palms raw and obviously burned. “Second is the power of fire,” Rain murmured to himself as he pushed up from his place. “Well done, Guardian. You’ve discovered your second power.”

“Fire,” Kimberly acknowledged, dropping what was left of the sword on the ground before starring from it to her own hands. They were glowing red and giving off what would normally have been an unbearable heat to anyone else, but she felt comfortable and protected by the sudden shimmer of power. Shaking her head, she blinked and let the power go, before bending down next to Tommy’s prone form. Rain joined her a second later, his own hands reaching for Tommy’s. His power flared a light purple and when he pulled back, the former Ranger’s hands had been healed.

“Rain?” Adam asked as he and Jason knelt with the trio, all looking either delighted or shocked.

“I take it we’re going to fire-proof all the workout areas now huh?” Jason joked, cause them all to chuckle. He leaned over to squeeze Kim’s shoulder and let out a gasp of disbelieve as he started glowing red himself. “What the…?”

“Dragon’s fire,” Rain grinned, watching Adam shake his head while Tommy’s eyebrow arched, the pair staring at Jason and Kim.

The former Pink Ranger swallowed and then let out a long breath. “Should have known.”

Pushing up, the five made their way back toward where Tanya and Kat were sitting and suddenly found themselves surrounded by what looked to be grotesque versions of the tengas they’d fought as teenagers. “You have got to be kidding! REALLY?” Adam uttered in disbelief before he quieted down at the looks Kim and Tommy were giving him. “Come on, haven’t we done this before? Does he really have to recycle the ones we’ve already fought?”

Shaking her head, Kimberly turned her brilliant white gaze to Rain. “Protect Katherine and Tanya,” she ordered as he nodded, dropping back away from the group to guard the two former Rangers who were not involved with this fight. “Spread out.”

The three men, too use to orders, didn’t question Kimberly’s sudden command. Tommy and Jason moved toward her left while Adam went right. The four assumed ready stances, eyeing the mutated Tengas. When the birds let out a horrid squawk and rushed forward, the four former Rangers were ready for them.

Tommy and Jason both lashed out with side kicks while Adam went low, hoping to knock the four coming at him off their feet. Kimberly took a running leap, launching herself into the air at the last second. Calling her powers, she let her body fly up and over the Tengas in a full layout before landing on the other side of them, arms up and palms toward them. She only had a split second to make a decision, hoping her friends would know what she was doing as she blasted the Tengas with her air powers. They went flying forward and right into the waiting arms of her friends, who took them down as quickly as they could. 

When Kim rebounded from the ground, she found herself cut off from the guys and facing an angry Hayden, his once blue eyes glowing red. “Guardian.”

“Go to hell,” she muttered, packing the full force of her air power behind her punch as she threw her arm at Hayden. He caught her fist in his palm just centimeters from his face, his fingers crunching down on her hand. She let out a scream as pain radiated up her arm, bringing her to her knees.

While Hayden’s attention was on Kimberly, the boys quickly finished off the Tengas. “We have to help Kim!” Adam gasped, pulling Tommy and Jason’s attention to him. 

“Let’s do it!” Tommy ordered. “It’s Morphin’ Time!”

Tommy and Adam shook their wrists while Jason reached behind his back and pulled his morpher from its resting place. “Tyrannosaurs!”

“Zeo Ranger IV, Green!”

“Zeo Ranger V, Red!”

Hayden grinned when he heard the three calls, his eyes boring into Kimberly’s pain-filled ones. “Your friends do not know when to quit,” he hissed at her.

“That’s right, they don’t,” Kimberly ground back, reaching deep inside of her for the power she’d just unlocked earlier in the morning. When she felt the deep, warmth of the power, she pulled it up through her soul and unleashed it on him.

The God stumbled back several steps, releasing Kimberly as he went, and found himself suddenly surrounded by three Power Rangers. “Your puny ties to the morphin’ grid are not going to save you!” he yelled suddenly, throwing his hands up as he hit his knees, sending out bolts of power from his fingertips.

Adam, Jason and Tommy jumped back but couldn’t avoid the power Hayden was releasing. Each was struck in the chest, causing them to slam back into the ground, demorphing in the process. “GUYS!” Katherine screamed from where Rain had her and Tanya back away from the fight.

“You are going to die this day, Pink Ranger, for interfering” Hayden vowed as he pushed to his feet and started stalking the trio.

“Think again,” a deadly whisper drew his attention. He looked over his shoulder to see Kimberly floating a foot off the ground, glowing an unnatural pink in color. Inside the pink swirled white, red and green power, each with a faint line going from Kimberly’s form to their respective counterpart lying on the ground. 

“You dare threaten me, Guardian? You, who has refused to make a choice! The power is not yours to control yet!” he threw back at her, watching her eyes go from doe brown to a luminescent pink.

Kimberly smirked briefly when she saw the fear enter his eyes. He’d underestimated her one too many times. “I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves,” she told him, tilting her head. “I don’t fight for either you or Kallisto, but for them. That is my choice. You’ve bullied my family long enough, you’ve thrown around your power and your weight, and you’ve thoroughly pissed me off.”

“Bad move Sparky,” Adam grinned from the ground, his body glowing green as he pushed to his knees.

“They never learn,” Jason muttered sarcastically, adopting the same pose as Adam only he was surrounded by red light.

“Kick his ass, Beautiful,” Tommy spoke to Kimberly, his eyes on her and her alone even as his body took on the unearthly white of his power.

“I WILL NOT LOSE!” Hayden roared. “The power of the morphin’ grid is mine!”

Kimberly silently pinned each of her three friends and partners with her gaze, communicating with them as only she could. “Power of Air!” Tommy shouted, raising his arms to the sky.

“Power of Fire!” Jason’s voice lifted seconds later, hands over his heart.

“Power of Water!” Adam called, having already guessed his shared power with Kimberly. His hands were touching the earth, power seeping into the ground.

Three beams of power joined together, creating a yellow tinged column that surrounded Kimberly. “With the powers of air, fire and water, I call the power of Earth!” Kimberly’s voice echoed out. Seconds later, the power slammed forward into Hayden. He let out an inhumane scream and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Once he was gone, the power Kimberly had been commanding dried up and she dropped to the ground, only to be caught in a pair of familiar, comforting arms. She let out a huge sigh and looked up into Tommy’s face, seeing the worry etched there. “I’m okay,” she murmured, reaching a hand up to cradle his cheek. He bent his head forward, resting his forehead on hers and closing his eyes.

Rain finally let Tanya and Katherine go to help Adam and Jason while he watched Tommy and Kimberly. Zordon hadn’t been lying when he’d told him once that theirs was a strong bond, one that despite what had happened between them was still there. Rain had heard of the myths of the Ninjetti soul-bond, but had never had the chance to see it first hand. The Falcon and Crane may have moved on, loved others, and in the Crane’s case started a family with someone else, but their hearts and souls would forever belong to each other. It was the first time a Guardian, to Rain’s recollection, had ever held a bond so strong with another. With a raised eyebrow, Rain pondered on whether or not the two of them knew that. And if they did, was it going to hinder or help the guardian’s journey.

\--

In case you didn’t read the Author’s Notes at the beginning of the chapter, we lost a very special friend in 2012 – Psycochick32 passed away in the spring. While not as close to her as other members of my group of friends, she was still a cherished friend and her passing has left another hole in my already battered heart. She was an extraordinary person with so many unique gifts, especially making you feel strong and capable and like you mattered. Her presence is so very keenly missed, particularly for me as I worked on this chapter. I had all but the final scene written prior to her passing, but every time I started to work on the last scene, I couldn’t bring myself to. I would sit staring at the blank page, remembering the many email discussions her and I had about this story, one that she told me time and again she loved so much (mostly because I was making Kimberly Hart tough as nails and not wimpy). She was a champion for this story, and her reviews reflect how much encouragement she gave me when I started it. Simply put – I miss her. This last September I finally found the grief had eased enough to look at this chapter again, to start work on the story again, but even then, it was in fits and starts as you can see by the date of the posting. But I know this with certainty – she’d want me to finish the story. She’d have wanted to see Kimberly find her destiny, to forge her own path. I hope that you’ve all enjoyed the chapter, and I apologize for the long wait. Kim, this one’s for you girlfriend. I miss you.


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